Biomedical subjects

B Roselló

Publications and source records attributed to B Roselló.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Learning difficulties in mathematics in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

INTRODUCTION: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning difficulties are two diagnostic categories of great social importance and impact, and which are associated in around 25-35% of cases. One explanation offered by researchers to account for this overlap is a deficit in executive functioning (EF). AIMS: 1) To compare EF and applied mathematical knowledge in children with ADHD, difficulties in learning mathematics (DLM) or ADHD + DLM, and to identify the deficiencies they experience. 2) To verify whether the phenotype hypothesis is fulfilled in the case of the ADHD + DLM condition. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study involved a quasi-experimental 2 x 2 design, with a sample made up of 78 participants (6-13 years old) who were divided into four groups: ADHD (n = 33), DLM (n = 15), ADHD + DLM (n = 15) and a control group (n = 15). Tests aimed at evaluating different cognitive processes as well as applied mathematical knowledge were administered: inhibitory control (go/no go); verbal working (backward digit-recall and counting memory task) and temporal-visual-spatial memory; short-term memory (direct digit-recall); attention (CPT); calculation speed (Canals) and real-life problems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Taking the variables age, gender and intelligence quotient as covariables, results showed that the three groups with problems displayed a deficit of attention and in working memory; the DLM group stood out from the other owing to the presence of a specific deficiency affecting the ability to recall temporal-visual-spatial information. In contrast, deficits in inhibitory control were seen to be specific to ADHD. Finally, findings did not support the phenotype hypothesis, and it was therefore an accumulative profile.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2003

[The role played by parents in the development and learning of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

INTRODUCTION: The parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) undergo high levels of stress, frequent quarrels amongst themselves and limitations in their social life, which are factors that exert an influence on the progress of the disorder and constitute a high priority therapeutic goal. AIMS: 1. To analyse the impact ADHD has on family life: economy, the relations between parents and children and between brothers and sisters, social life, and the feelings and attitudes parents have towards their child. 2. To study possible changes in the use of behavioural modification techniques and in the attributions/expectations of the parents following a programme of counselling. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: In order to accomplish the first objective, 36 couples filled in a questionnaire about family impact, and percentage analyses were carried out. To achieve the second aim, 28 couples, who received counselling in small groups, filled in questionnaires before and after the programme, and comparative analyses were performed using the Wilcoxon interval test. RESULTS: 89% of parents suffer from stress, 64% feel uncomfortable about their child's behaviour, for 68% of them the psychoeducational cost of the child is higher, 50% have quarrels with their partner and 44% report that it makes it more difficult for their brothers and sisters to take part in activities. Significant changes have also been observed in the knowledge parents have about the nature of the disorder and the attributions/expectations they have about their child, together with improvements in the application of behavioural modification techniques. CONCLUSIONS: ADHD exerts a negative effect on the family system; parent counselling has proved to be effective in understanding the pathology and bringing about positive changes in expectations/attributions.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2003

[Adopted children: risk factors and neuropsychological problems].

In recent years there has been a striking increase in the number of transnational adoptions in our country, which follows the trend already observed in other developed European countries. Major contributing factors to this phenomenon have been the improvements in socioeconomic conditions in our country, the drop in the birth rate, with the corresponding decrease in the number of children available for adoption, and the disappearance of orphanages. This growing demand can be met by developing countries, in which the birth rate is still high and there are only limited chances of being able to maintain offspring. The children that are adopted come mainly from countries in Central and South America, Eastern Europe and Asia. Pathologies that can be expected in adopted children include general paediatric conditions, especially infections (which are often autochthonous ailments in their own country) and malnutrition, as well as neuropsychological and developmental disorders, such as psychomotor retardation, conduct and behavioural disorders, which sometimes stem from conflicts arising in the process of adaptation, communication problems, which occasionally reflect an autistic like disorder, and the problems deriving from the circumstances that condition the donation of the child for adoption (perinatal pathology, maternal drug addiction and withdrawal symptoms, maternal psychopathology.). The pathology, history and prognosis of the adopted child depend on several different factors that act in an accumulative fashion. The country of origin plays a decisive role in the type of pathology, according to the level of the health care system that exists there, the existence of adoption programmes that are regulated by law, etc. The child's age at adoption marks the difference in the optimisation of their development, if they have early access to a stable family unit. Having stayed in institutions and the length of time spent there is a risk factor for presenting a neuropsychological pathology. On many occasions the scarce information available about the child's medical history makes it more difficult to anticipate the appearance of certain problems. The existence of social risk factors in the biological families is a conditioning factor in increased morbidity. We describe a short series of adopted patients who were attended in our Neuropaediatric clinic, and we analyse the above mentioned conditioning variables and the most frequent pathologies.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

[The course of behaviour changes in children with attention deficit and hyperactivity after drug treatment].

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have reported differences in behaviour in patients with various subtypes of attention deficit with hyperactivity and the benefits of psychostimulant medication in the treatment of behaviour problems of patients with the attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome (TDAH). OBJECTIVES: 1. To determine possible differences in behaviour between patients with subtypes of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; 2. To analyze the efficacy of methylphenidate on behaviour in three subtypes of TDAH, evaluated on the opinions of patients and teachers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 90 children were studied: 39 children with TDAH-C; 36 with TDAH-1 and 15 with TDAH-H/I. All patients were given 0.5 mg/kg of methylphenidate for a period of three months, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. RESULTS: The results show that the children with the three subtypes of TDAH have significant differences in all the behaviour variables studied except for the variable timidity anxiety, in which no differences were observed between the subtypes of TDAH. Statistical analysis also showed that children with all three subtypes of TDAH improved significantly with regard to most of the aspects of behaviour studied after psychostimulant medication, in the opinions of parents and teachers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are similar to those of other studies and give fresh data on the behaviour and advantages of methylphenidate in the new subtype included in the DSM-1V, the predominantly hyperactive impulsive type.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed1999

[The evaluation of the effects of pharmacological treatment of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

In this study we approach problems related to the dosage and specific action of methylphenidate, its effects at cognitive and social levels, possible side-effects and limitations to its usage, and methods for evaluation of the response to treatment in the school environment. We make special mention of the importance of both parents and teachers being familiar with these problems.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed1998

[Risk factors in learning difficulties].

OBJECTIVE: To review the literature of the risk factors in learning difficulties (LD) and to assess these factors in children diagnosed as having LD in the Neuropaediatric Department of the Hospital Universitario Infantil La Fe in Valencia, in 1996 and 1997. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was done of children diagnosed in the Hospital Infantil Universitario La Fe in Valencia as having learning difficulties. The different factors related to LD were assessed. RESULTS: Between 1 January 1996 and 31 December 1997 a total of 32 children were diagnosed as having learning difficulties. There were 62.5% boys and 37.5% girls of an average age of 10 years and 10 months. The average intelligence quotient was 82.1. The commonest LD was difficulty with reading and writing. CONCLUSION: Learning difficulties form a large proportion of the routine pathology seen in the Neuropaediatric Department. It must be remembered that in most children with learning difficulties there is undiagnosed underlying neurological pathology which becomes noticeable on reaching an age at which schooling becomes more demanding.

Child↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Pharmacological treatment with risperidone in children with behavior disorders].

INTRODUCTION: Behavior disorders are frequently seen in children attending a neuropaediatric clinic. The classical neuroleptic drugs are usually used for treatment. However response tends to be irregular with adverse effects at a cognitive level and extrapyramidal symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We started to use risperidone in children with serious behavior problems who had not responded to other drugs, and evaluated the clinical course and side effects. RESULTS: A total of 16 patients aged between 7 and 14 years were treated for diagnoses of: hyperactivity attention deficit disorder, mental retardation with non specific behavior disorder, Gilles de la Tourette disorder with hyperactivity attention deficit disorder and generalized disorder of development. The doses of risperidone varied between 0.01 and 0.05 mg/kg/day. In two cases the evolution could not be assessed, was good in 10 and no change was seen in 4. The group of patients with most improvement were those with mental retardation. The commonest adverse effect was weight gain. No patient had extrapyramidal symptoms. CONCLUSION: We consider risperidone to be a safe drug for the pharmacological treatment of children with behavior problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The effects of psychostimulants on the cognitive results and behaviour of children with the combined subtype of attention deficit with hyperactivity].

INTRODUCTION: Many studies have shown the efficacy of methylphenidate in treating children with attention deficit and hyperactivity to reduce the main symptoms of the disorder and problems of behaviour: behaviour which is disruptive, antisocial, negative and aggressive. OBJECTIVES: 1. Analyze the therapeutic effects of methylphenidate on the cognitive function of children with TDAH, combined subtype, evaluated by means of neuropsychological tests of attention and inhibitory control. 2. Determine the efficacy of methylphenidate in improving the basic symptoms of TDAH C according to the DSM 1V for parents and teachers, and their behaviour, evaluated by their teachers, in the combined subtype. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The sample was made up of 48 children with TDAH C. 24 of these had been referred by paediatricians and received drug treatment with methylphenidate, 0.5 mg/kg once in the morning and once after lunch (TDAH C/CTF). The other group of 24 children with TDAH C were referred from their teachers to a school psychologist so that they followed the usual guidelines for orientation but not a systematically developed treatment (TDAH C/C or control group). RESULTS. In relation to the first objective the results were good for the TDAH C/CTF compared with the TDAH C/C group regarding the proportion of children who improved their results on neuropsychological testing of planning inhibitory control and attention. The differences between the two groups were statistically significant in the latent period of the reflexive impulsive test (MFF), arithmetic, cancellation of rhomboids and cancellation of numbers. Regarding the second objective, the improvement in the TDAH C/CTF group according to the teachers opinions were statistically significant with respect to attention, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, as compared with the control group. However, according to the parents assessment, although improvement was greater in both dimensions, the differences between the two groups did not reach statistical significance. Finally, the teachers observed greater improvement in the medicated group as compared to the control group regarding three variables: learning problems, antisocial conduct and failure to adapt to school. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results coincide with those of other excellent reviews, which have shown the effectiveness of methylphenidate in the treatment of cognitive and behaviour disorders in this group.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗