PubMed HealthSearch

Biomedical subjects

J Newcorn

Publications and source records attributed to J Newcorn.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Medication treatment strategies in the MTA Study: relevance to clinicians and researchers.

OBJECTIVE: Clinicians have difficulty applying drug research findings to clinical practice, because research protocols use methods different from those used in daily office practice settings. METHOD: To design a medication protocol for a multisite clinical trial involving 576 children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while maintaining relevance to clinical practice, investigators from the NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA study) developed novel medication strategies. These were designed to work either in a monomodal or multimodal format and to ensure standard approaches are used across diverse sites. Each child randomized to medication (projected N = 288) is individually titrated to his or her "best" methylphenidate dose and has individual ADHD symptoms monitored. Decision rules were developed to guide "best dose" selection, dose changes, medication changes, the management of side effects, and integration with psychosocial treatments. CONCLUSIONS: The MTA study uses a controlled method to standardize the identification of each child's "best" methylphenidate dose in a national, multisite cooperative treatment program. Although the titration protocol is complex, the study's individual dosing approach and algorithms for openly managing ADHD children's medication over time will be of interest to clinicians in office practice.

Adolescent

DSM-IV field trials for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Optimal diagnostic thresholds were determined for DSM-IV attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and the psychometric properties were compared to alternative definitions. METHOD: Structured diagnostic interviews of multiple informants for 380 clinic-referred youths aged 4-17 years were conducted. In addition, standardized clinicians' validation diagnoses of attention deficit disorder were obtained to assess agreement with clinical judgment. Measures of impairment were obtained to assess the accuracy of identifying youth with an impairing condition. RESULTS: Three subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, and combined types) were distinguished on the basis of the degree of deviance on separate dimensions of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity. These three subtypes were found to differ in terms of types of impairment, age, and sex ratio, but not ethnicity. In terms of case identification of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, DSM-IV was found to be very similar to DSM-III-R, except that DSM-IV identified more impaired girls and preschool children. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the decision to subdivide the heterogeneous category of DSM-III-R attention deficit hyperactivity disorder into three subtypes. The resulting DSM-IV definition appears to be somewhat less biased toward the symptom pattern typical of elementary school boys.

Adolescent

DSM-IV field trials for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder in children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the field trials for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder was to select valid diagnostic thresholds for these disorders and to compare the psychometric properties of DSM-IV criteria for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder with previous DSM diagnostic formulations. METHOD: Structured diagnostic interviews, standardized clinician's validation diagnoses, and multiple measures of impairment were obtained for 440 clinic-referred children and adolescents aged 4-17 years. RESULTS: A diagnostic threshold of four symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder optimized identification of impaired children, improved agreement somewhat with the clinician's validation diagnosis, and had somewhat better test-retest agreement than DSM-III-R. In the case of conduct disorder, the optimal time window for ascertainment of symptoms was clarified. A diagnostic threshold of three symptoms of conduct disorder maximized accurate identification of impaired children and agreement with the clinician's validation diagnosis and resulted in slightly better test-retest agreement than DSM-III-R. Compared with the DSM-III-R definition, the DSM-IV definition of oppositional defiant disorder was somewhat more prevalent, but the prevalence of conduct disorder was essentially unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: DSM-IV definitions of oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder are somewhat better than DSM-III-R definitions in terms of internal consistency and test-retest agreement, and the validity of the DSM-IV definition of oppositional defiant disorder is slightly better than that of DSM-III-R.

Adolescent

Comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with conduct, depressive, anxiety, and other disorders.

OBJECTIVE: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a heterogeneous disorder of unknown etiology. Little is known about the comorbidity of this disorder with disorders other than conduct. Therefore, the authors made a systematic search of the psychiatric and psychological literature for empirical studies dealing with the comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with other disorders. DATA COLLECTION: The search terms included hyperactivity, hyperkinesis, attention deficit disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cross-referenced with antisocial disorder (aggression, conduct disorder, antisocial disorder), depression (depression, mania, depressive disorder, bipolar), anxiety (anxiety disorder, anxiety), learning problems (learning, learning disability, academic achievement), substance abuse (alcoholism, drug abuse), mental retardation, and Tourette's disorder. FINDINGS: The literature supports considerable comorbidity of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder with conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, and other disorders, such as mental retardation, Tourette's syndrome, and borderline personality disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Subgroups of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might be delineated on the basis of the disorder's comorbidity with other disorders. These subgroups may have differing risk factors, clinical courses, and pharmacological responses. Thus, their proper identification may lead to refinements in preventive and treatment strategies. Investigation of these issues should help to clarify the etiology, course, and outcome of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Adult

Subtypes of suicidal and assaultive behaviors in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: a research note.

Among 129 adolescent psychiatric inpatients, four subgroups of suicidal and/or assaultive behaviors were identified. A suicidal-only subgroup with no evidence of assaultive behavior was characterized by depression, drug abuse and environmental stresses. An assaultive-only subgroup with no evidence of suicidal behavior exhibited aggressive symptoms and violence at home. A subgroup with both suicidal and assaultive behaviors experienced accidents and family violence. A fourth subgroup had neither suicidal nor assaultive behavior. This subgroup showed eating disorders, depression, minimal assaultiveness and few peer friendships.

Adolescent