Biomedical subjects

Carla J DeVincent

Publications and source records attributed to Carla J DeVincent.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

ADHD symptom subtypes in children with pervasive developmental disorder.

OBJECTIVE: Compares DSM-IV ADHD subtypes in large samples of 3-to-5 and 6-to-12 year old children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) vs. nonPDD clinic referrals. METHOD: Parents and teachers completed a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale. RESULTS: ADHD subtypes were clearly differentiated from the nonADHD group and showed a differential pattern of co-occurring psychiatric symptoms (more pronounced for teacher- than parent-defined subtypes and older than younger children) that was similar in both PDD and nonPDD samples. The Combined type had more severe oppositional, aggressive, and PDD symptoms than Inattentive type and were from less advantaged homes than other subtypes. Hyperactive-Impulsive type was least impaired. CONCLUSION: Findings support the notion that ADHD may be a clinically meaningful syndrome in children with PDD.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2005

The presentation of anxiety in children with pervasive developmental disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Although the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th ed. (DSM-IV) diagnostic criteria generally discourage the diagnosis of other Axis I disorders in children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), anxiety symptoms are often observed in this clinical population. Moreover, there are some albeit limited data that suggest an association between anxiety and psychotic symptoms in children. Because co-occurring psychiatric symptoms have important clinical implications, this study examined anxiety and psychotic symptoms in children with and without PDD. METHOD: Parents and teachers completed the Early Childhood Inventory-4 (ECI-4) or the Child Symptom Inventory (CSI-4) for children evaluated in a developmental disabilities clinic (PDD) or a child psychiatry outpatient clinic (non-PDD). Children were divided into four groups: 3-5- year-olds with (n = 182) and without (n = 135) PDD, and 6-12-year-olds with (n = 301) and without (n = 191) PDD. The 6-12-year-olds were further divided into high-anxious and low-anxious subgroups based on CSI-4 ratings and compared with regard to severity of psychotic symptoms. RESULTS: Teachers rated preschoolers with PDD as exhibiting more severe anxiety symptoms than the non-PDD group; however, the converse was true for parent ratings. For 6-12- year-olds, both parents and teachers rated children with PDD as significantly more anxious than non-PDD clinic referrals. In general, the severity of anxiety symptoms varied by PDD subtype (Asperger's disorder > PDDNOS > Autistic disorder) and IQ (high > low). Furthermore, highly anxious 6-12-year-olds with PDD received significantly higher parent and teacher ratings of psychotic symptom severity (strange behaviors, hearing voices, illogical thinking, inappropriate affect, and odd thoughts) than our low-anxious group, even when controlling for PDD symptom severity. Moreover, the relation between anxiety level and psychotic symptom severity was similar for both PDD and non-PDD children. Parent and teachers differed in their perceptions of the severity of specific anxiety symptoms. In addition, parent- versus teacher-defined anxiety level groups varied with regard to the differential severity of psychotic symptoms. This finding highlights the importance of continued investigation of source-specific syndromes in children with PDD. Two case vignettes are presented. CONCLUSION: Anxiety appears to be a clinically important concern in many children with PDD. Similarities in anxiety symptom presentation and their association with psychotic symptoms in both children with and without PDD support the possibility of: (1) psychiatric comorbidity in the former; (2) at least some overlap in causal mechanisms for anxiety and psychotic symptoms in both PDD and non-PDD children; and (3) a unique diagnostic entity comprised of PDD, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms. Lastly, clinicians should seriously consider dual diagnoses in children with PDD.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed2005

Clinical significance of tics and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children with pervasive developmental disorder.

The goal of this study was to examine the clinical significance of co-occurring tics and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as indicators of a more complex symptomatology in children with and without pervasive developmental disorder. Parents and teachers completed a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-referenced rating scale for 3- to 5- (n = 182/135) and 6- to 12- (n = 301/191) year-old children with pervasive developmental disorder and clinic controls, respectively. The percentage of children with tic behaviors varied with age: preschoolers (25%, 44%) versus elementary schoolchildren (60%, 66%) (parent and teacher ratings, respectively). For many psychiatric symptoms, screening prevalence rates were highest for the ADHD + tics group and lowest for the group with symptoms of neither, but the pattern of group differences varied by age group and informant. In general, there were few differences between the ADHD only and tics only groups. The pattern of ADHD/tic group differences was similar for both children with and without pervasive developmental disorder. We concluded that these findings support the notion that the co-occurrence of ADHD and tics is an indicator of a more complex psychiatric symptomatology in children with pervasive developmental disorder.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

PubMed2004

Psychiatric symptoms in preschool children with PDD and clinic and comparison samples.

OBJECTIVE: This study describes and compares the severity of DSM-IV symptoms in preschool children with diagnosed pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), clinic controls, and two community-based samples. METHOD: Parents (/and teachers) completed the early child inventory-4 (ECI-4), a DSM-IV-referenced rating scale for four samples: PDD (n = 172/160) and nonPDD psychiatric clinic referrals (n=135/101) and youngsters in regular (n=507/407) and special (n =64/140) early childhood programs. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years old. RESULTS: With the exception of conduct problems, the PDD group generally received higher symptom severity ratings than the regular early childhood group, but the pattern of differences compared with the other two groups often varied by type of symptom and informant. Teachers rated the PDD and nonPDD clinic groups as having equally severe ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Teachers rated the PDD group as having more severe anxiety and depression symptoms than parents. The Asperger group was rated by both informants as more oppositional than the autism and PDDNOS subgroups. Teachers rated males in the regular early childhood sample as having more severe ADHD and aggressive symptoms than females, but this was not the case for the PDD sample. CONCLUSION: Preschoolers with PDD exhibit more severe DSM-IV psychiatric symptoms than children in regular and special early childhood programs, and to some extent nonPDD psychiatric referrals. The concept of comorbidity warrants further exploration, as does informant-specific syndromes as validators of diagnostic constructs.

Child Development Disorders, Pervasive↗