RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Early-onset depressive disorders can have severe consequences both from developmental and functional aspects. The etiology of depressive disorders is complex and multi-factorial, with an intricate interaction among environmental factors and genetic predisposition. While data from studies on adults suggest that caffeine is fairly safe, effects of caffeine in children, who are in period of rapid brain development, are currently unknown. Furthermore, systematic research addressing the relationship between depressive symptoms in children and caffeine consumption is lacking.The present study examined the effects of caffeine consumption on depressed mood in children with depression and non-depressed participants. METHODS: Children and adolescents (n = 51) already enrolled in an ongoing longitudinal study, aged 9-12 years, were assessed for depressive symptoms with the Children Depressive Inventory (CDI). Psychopathological symptoms were assessed with the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) and eating habits were assessed with the Nutrition-Behavior Inventory (NBI) 1. The children were compared to control children without psychopathology attending public schools in a Southern Brazilian city. RESULTS: Participants with CDI scores ≥ 15 (mean = 19; S.D. = 4) also had high NBI scores (mean = 52; S.D. = 19, p < 0.001) suggestive of a relationship between depressive symptoms and environmental factors, in this case nutrition/behavior. Additional linear regression adjusted statistical analysis, considering the factors of consumption of sweets and caffeine individually, showed that caffeine, but not sweets, was associated with depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that depressed children consume more caffeinated drinks than non-depressed children. Nonetheless while a strong association between depressive symptoms and caffeine consumption among children was found, further research should investigate whether or not this association is due to a cause and effect relationship.
Asunto(s)
Bebidas/estadística & datos numéricos , Cafeína/administración & dosificación , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/administración & dosificación , Depresión/diagnóstico , Depresión/epidemiología , Adolescente , Análisis de Varianza , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Niño , Dieta , Femenino , Humanos , Modelos Lineales , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The validity of a diagnosis of ADHD in children with a high intelligence quotient (IQ) remains controversial. Using a multidisciplinary approach, rigorous diagnostic criteria, and worldwide-validated psychometric instruments, we identified a group of children attending public schools in southern Brazil for co-occurrence of high IQ and ADHD. METHOD: Students attending public schools, in the first to fifth grades, were referred to our Research Center for behavioral and/or learning difficulties. These children completed clinical, psychiatric, psychological, and pedagogical evaluations for assessment of IQ, ADHD, learning, and other emotional or behavioral disorders. RESULTS: Fifteen of the participants were identified to have a full-scale IQ ≥ 120. Data show that 10 of these high-IQ children met the DSM-IV criteria diagnosis for ADHD combined type, 5 met criteria for current oppositional-defiant disorder, 2 had current major depression, and 2 had a learning disorder. Here we present the results as a case series. CONCLUSION: Our data support the hypothesis that ADHD is a valid diagnosis in children with high IQs.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/diagnóstico , Déficit de la Atención y Trastornos de Conducta Disruptiva/diagnóstico , Trastorno Depresivo/diagnóstico , Inteligencia , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/diagnóstico , Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/psicología , Déficit de la Atención y Trastornos de Conducta Disruptiva/complicaciones , Déficit de la Atención y Trastornos de Conducta Disruptiva/psicología , Brasil , Niño , Trastorno Depresivo/complicaciones , Trastorno Depresivo/psicología , Humanos , Pruebas de Inteligencia , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/complicaciones , Discapacidades para el Aprendizaje/psicología , Masculino , Psicometría , Reproducibilidad de los ResultadosRESUMEN
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurobehavioral disorder that affects children worldwide. The etiology of ADHD is complex and not fully understood. Earlier studies associated elevated levels of manganese (Mn) with learning problems, attention deficits, and ADHD. Furthermore, it has also been shown that the dopamine (DA) system, the primary site of action of pharmacological ADHD treatments, is influenced by high levels of Mn. Recent studies have suggested that Mn accumulates in dopaminergic neurons via the presynaptic dopamine transporter (DAT). A role for altered functioning of the dopaminergic system in the etiology of ADHD has been well established through neurochemical, neurophysiological, imaging, and genetics studies. Methylphenidate (MPH) is a psychostimulant commonly used to manage ADHD symptoms. The pharmacotherapeutic effect of MPH occurs primarily through its action of inhibiting DAT, and thus increasing dopamine, as well as other catecholamines, at the synapse. We assessed a group of children with ADHD and matched control children without psychopathology attending public schools in a southern Brazilian city and reported elevated serum concentrations of Mn in treatment-naïve children with ADHD compared to normal controls. Interestingly, children with ADHD receiving concurrent MPH showed no difference in Mn serum levels versus controls. We then prospectively assessed the impact of naturalistic treatment with MPH and determined that Mn concentrations were significantly reduced from baseline values following MPH exposure.