Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Comparison of neuropsychological performances and behavioral patterns of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and severe mood dysregulation

  • Original Contribution
  • Published:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the similarities and differences in neuropsychological test performance, demographic features and behavioral patterns of children and adolescents with the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder combined type (ADHD-C), and the severe mood dysregulation (SMD). Study includes 112 children: 67 with ADHD-C, 24 with SMD and 21 healthy controls. These groups were identified by using the schedule for affective disorders, and schizophrenia for the school-age children-present and lifetime version (KSADS-PL) and the K-SADS-PL-SMD Module. Conners’ Parent and Teacher Rating Scale-revised long form (CPRS-R:L and CTRS-R:L) and neuropsychological tests were administered to the research groups. ADHD-C group’s performances in Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Trail Making Test, Stroop Test TBAG form and Controlled Oral Word Association Test were significantly poorer than the control group’s performances (p < 0.05). Performance of the SMD group was only descriptively intermediate between performances of the ADHD-C and control group. In the “Oppositional”, “Hyperactivity”, “Social Problems”, “Impulsive”, “Emotional Lability” and “Conners’ Global Index” subscales of CPRS-R:L, the average scores of the SMD group were significantly higher than the ADHD-C and control group’s average scores (p < 0.05). ADHD-C group (but not SMD) could be significantly differentiated from healthy controls with the neuropsychological tests used. SMD group could be differentiated from the ADHD-C and healthy control groups with CPRS-R:L; i.e., ADHD-C versus SMD could be differentiated at the behavioral level only.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Emiroglu FN, Diler RS (2009) Pediatric bipolar disorders: from the perspective of Turkey. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 18:206–214

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Leibenluft E, Charney DS, Towbin KE, Bhangoo RK, Pine DS (2003) Defining clinical phenotypes of juvenile mania. Am J Psychiatry 160:430–437

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Stringaris A, Zavos H, Leibenluft E (2012) Adolescent irritability: phenotypic associations and genetic links with depressed mood. Am J Psychiatry 169:47–54

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Stringaris A, Cohen P, Pine DS (2009) Adult outcomes of youth irritability: a 20-year prospective community-based study. Am J Psychiatry 166:1048–1054

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Brotman MA, Schmajuk M, Rich BA, Dickstein DP, Guyer AE, Costello EJ et al (2006) Prevalence, clinical correlates, and longitudinal course of severe mood dysregulation in children. Biol Psychiatry 60:991–997

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Copeland WE, Angold A, Costello EJ, Egger H (2013) Prevalence, comorbidity, and correlates of DSM-5 proposed disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Am J Psychiatry 170:173–179

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th edn.). American Psychiatric Publishing, Washington

  8. Jonkman LM, Kemner C, Verbaten MN, Van Engeland H, Camfferman G, Buitelaar JK, Koelega HS (2000) Attentional capacity, a probe ERP study: differences between children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and normal control children and effects of methylphenidate. Psychophysiology 37:334–346

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Blair RJ (2010) Psychopathy, frustration, and reactive aggression: the role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Br J Psychol 101:383–399

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Dickstein DP, Finger EC, Brotman MA, Rich BA, Pine DS, Blair JR, Leibenluft E (2010) Impaired probabilistic reversal learning in youths with mood and anxiety disorders. Psychol Med 40:1089–1100

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Leibenluft E (2011) Severe mood dysregulation, irritability, and the diagnostic boundaries of bipolar disorder in youths. Am J Psychiatry 168:129–142

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Sonuga-Barke EJS, Sergeant AJ, Nigg J, Willcutt E (2008) Executive dysfunction and delay aversion in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: nosologic and diagnostic implications. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am 17:367–384

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Sonuga-Barke EJS, Dalen L, Remington RER (2003) Do delay aversion and inhibitory deficits make distinct contributions to pre-school AD/HD? J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 42:1335–1342

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Pennington BF, Ozonoff S (1996) Executive functions and developmental psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 37:51–87

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Willcutt EG, Doyle AE, Nigg JT, Faraone SV, Pennington BF (2005) Validity of executive function theory and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a meta-analytic review. Biol Psychiatry 57:1336–1346

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Mikita N, Stringaris A (2013) Mood dysregulation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 22:11–16

    Article  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Beesdo K, Lau JY, Guyer AE, McClure-Tone EB, Monk CS, Nelson EE, Fromm SJ, Goldwin MA, Wittchen HU, Leibenluft E, Ernst M, Pine DS (2009) Common and distinct amygdala-function perturbations in depressed vs anxious adolescents. Arch Gen Psychiatry 66:275–285

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chapman LJ, Chapman JP (1987) The measurement of handedness. Brain Cogn 6:175–183

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Nalçacı E, Kalaycıoğlu C, Güneş E, Çiçek M (2002) El tercihi anketinin geçerlik ve güvenilirliği. Turk Psikiyatri Derg 13:99–106

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Savaşır I, Şahin N (1995) Wechsler Çocuklar İçin Zeka Ölçegi (WISCR) El Kitabı. Türk Psikologlar Dernegi Yayınları, Ankara

    Google Scholar 

  21. Gökler B, Ünal F, Pehlivantürk B, Kültür EÇ, Akdemir D, Taner Y (2004) Reliability and validity of Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version. Turk J Child Adoles Mental Health 11:109–116

    Google Scholar 

  22. Çöp E (2009) DEHB’de ADD Yaygınlığı. Eşlik Eden Hastalıklar ve Bilişsel Özellikleri, Yayınlanmamış Tıpta Uzmanlık Tezi Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Ankara

    Google Scholar 

  23. Conners CK, Sitarenios G, Parker JD, Epstein JN (1998) Revision and restandardization of the Conners parent rating scale (CPRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and criterion validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol 26:257–268

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Conners CK, Sitarenios G, Parker JD, Epstein JN (1998) Revision and restandardization of the Conners teacher rating scale (CTRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and criterion validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol 26:279–291

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Kaner S, Büyüköztürk Ş, İşeri E, Ak A, Özaydın L (2011) Conners’ parent rating scale long form-revised: factor structure, reliability and validity studies. Turk J Child Adoles Mental Health 18:45–58

    Google Scholar 

  26. Spreen OE, Strauss A (1998) Compendium of neuropsychological tests: administration, norms, and commentary. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  27. Berg EA (1948) A simple objective technique for measuring flexibility in thinking. J Gen Psychol 39:15–22

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Karakaş S, Doğutepe Dinçer E (eds) (2011) Bilnot Bataryası El Kitabı. Bilnot-Çocuk Cilt-I-II, Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri, İstanbul

    Google Scholar 

  29. Stroop JR (1935) Studies of interference in serial verbal reactions. J Exp Psychol 18:643–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Mitrushina M, Bone KB, Razani J, D’Elia LF (2005) Handbook of normative data for neuropsychological assessment, 2nd edn. Oxford University Pres, New York

    Google Scholar 

  31. Grodzinsky GM, Barkley RA (1999) Predictive power of frontal lobe tests in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neuropsychol 13:12–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Sergeant JA, Geurts H, Oosterlaan J (2002) How specific is a deficit of executive functioning for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder? Behavioral Brain Res 130:3–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Tripp G, Ryan J, Peace K (2002) Neuropsychological functioning in children with DSM-IV combined type attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 36:771–779

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Houghton S, Douglas G, West J, Whiting K, Wall M, Langsford S, Powell L, Carroll A (1999) Differential patterns of executive function in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder according to gender and subtype. J Child Neurol 14:801–805

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Weber P, Lütschg J, Fahnenstich H (2005) Cerebral hemodynamic changes in response to an executive function task in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. J Dev Behav Pediatr 26:105–111

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Chiang M, Gau SS (2008) Validation of attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder subtypes among Taiwanese children using neuropsychological functioning. Aust NZJ Psychiatry 42:526–535

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Hale JB, Reddy LA, Decker SL, Thompson R, Henzel J, Teodori A, Forrest E, Eusebio E, Denckla MB (2009) Development and validation of an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) executive function and behavior rating screening battery. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 31:897–912

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Qian Y, Shuai L, Cao Q, Chan RC, Wang Y (2010) Do executive function deficits differentiate between children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and ADHD comorbid with oppositional defiant disorder? A cross-cultural study using performance-based tests and the behavior rating. İnventory of executive function. Clin Neuropsychol 24:793–810

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Wakschlag LS, Choi SW, Carter AS, Hullsiek H, Burns J, McCarthy K, Leibenluft E, Briggs-Gowan MJ (2012) Defining the developmental parameters of temper loss in early childhood: implications for developmental psychopathology. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 53:1099–1108

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Biederman J, Petty CR, Day H, Goldin RL, Spencer T, Faraone SV, Surman CB, Wozniak J (2012) Severity of the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention child behavior checklist profile discriminates between different levels of deficits in emotional regulation in youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Dev Behav Pediatr 33:236–243

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Ochsner KN (2008) The social-emotional processing stream: five core constructs and their translational potential for schizophrenia and beyond. Biol Psychiatry 64:48–61

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Happaney K et al (2004) Development of orbitofrontal function: current themes and future directions. Brain Cogn 55:1–10

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Zelazo PD (2004) The development of conscious control in childhood. Trends Cogn Sci 8:12–17

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Gül Ergün, who kindly undertook the statistical analysis, and Aynur Şahin Aközel, who assisted with the neuropsychological tests.

Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there are no conflicts of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hatay Woman and Children Hospital, Antakya, Turkey

    Pınar Uran

  2. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Ankara University School of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey

    Birim Günay Kılıç

  3. Hatay Kadın Doğum ve Çocuk Hastalıkları Hastanesi, Şirince Mahallesi, Dabbahhane Sokak, 31100, Antakya, Hatay, Turkey

    Pınar Uran

Authors
  1. Pınar Uran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Birim Günay Kılıç
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pınar Uran.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Uran, P., Kılıç, B.G. Comparison of neuropsychological performances and behavioral patterns of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and severe mood dysregulation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 24, 21–30 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0529-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-014-0529-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation