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S V Faraone

Publications and source records attributed to S V Faraone.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources

Comorbidity between ADDH and learning disability: a review and report in a clinically referred sample.

A widely variable overlap ranging from 10 to 92% has been reported in the literature between attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity (ADDH) and learning disability (LD), most likely a result of inconsistencies in the criteria used to define LD in different studies. The following study seeks to more accurately determine rates of LD in clinically referred children. Using a psychometrically reliable methodological approach, it was expected that the rate of LD in ADDH children would be far more modest than previously reported. Subjects were referred children with ADDH (N = 60), children with academic problems (N = 30), and normal controls (N = 36) of both sexes with available psychological and achievement testing. Using a liberal definition of LD, significant differences were found between the groups (ADDH = 38% versus academic problems = 43% versus normals = 8%; p = 0.002). In contrast, more modest rates were found using two more stringent methods of assessment (23 and 17%; 10 and 3%; 2 and 0%, respectively; p = 0.02). Arithmetic-based LD appears to be equally identified by both stringent methods, whereas the liberal definition overidentified children in all three groups. These findings show that a liberal definition of LD overidentifies LD not only in ADDH children but also in normal children.

Achievement↗

Attention/information-processing factors in psychotic disorders. Replication and extension of recent neuropsychological findings.

The scores of attention/information-processing measures derived from neuropsychological testing of 34 chronic psychotic, primarily schizophrenic patients were subjected to a principal components analysis. Measures were chosen a priori on the basis of a previous factor-analytic study by A.F. Mirsky (1987, Behavioral and psychophysiological markers of disordered attention, Environmental Health Perspectives 74:191-199). The factor pattern in the present study was strikingly similar to that reported by Mirsky on a largely nonpsychotic sample. In both studies, four factors emerged that may be identified as: a) perceptual motor speed; b) mental control (numerical-mnemonic); c) flexibility; and d) vigilance. This replication provides support for previously postulated types of attention and suggests that schizophrenic and other psychotic disorders are not associated with atypical organization of attention/information-processing dimensions. The authors discuss questions raised by Mirsky's previous results in light of the present findings. In particular, it was concluded that the flexibility factor requires further clarification. Implications of the findings for clinical evaluation and research in schizophrenia are discussed as well.

Attention↗

Using vulnerability indicators to compare conceptual models of genetic heterogeneity in schizophrenia.

The search for indicators of vulnerability has been important in schizophrenia research, but, as in many areas, progress has been impeded due to the heterogeneity of schizophrenic disorders. How one conceptualizes the observed heterogeneity is dependent upon the particular genetic model to which one subscribes. In this article, we delineate several models that may account for the distributions of vulnerability indicators in groups of schizophrenic patients and their ill and well relatives. We present these models for heuristic purposes so that they may serve to guide the interpretation of data with respect to the issue of teasing apart familial and nonfamilial environmental components of putative vulnerability indicators. It is suggested that investigators will profit by: a) efforts to combine psychiatric genetic paradigms in order to maximize the yield of family study data, and b) thinking in terms of comparing the ability of different models to account for research findings.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗

Comorbidity of parental anxiety disorders as risk for childhood-onset anxiety in inhibited children.

OBJECTIVE: Previous work suggested that children of parents with panic disorder and agoraphobia were likely to be classified as behaviorally inhibited and that behaviorally inhibited children were likely to develop anxiety disorders. However, the factors determining which inhibited children were at risk for childhood onset of anxiety disorders remained unknown. The authors of this study hypothesized that greater anxiety loading in parents would increase the risk for anxiety disorders in children with behavioral inhibition. METHOD: Using DSM-III structured interviews, the authors examined patterns of aggregation of anxiety disorders in parents of two existing cohorts of children, one cross-sectional and clinically derived (31 children, 60 parents) and the other epidemiologically derived and longitudinal (40 children, 75 parents). Within each cohort, parents were stratified into three groups based on the presence (behavioral inhibition and anxiety) or absence (behavioral inhibition only, no behavioral inhibition and no anxiety) of behavioral inhibition and two or more anxiety disorders in their child. RESULTS: Parents of children with behavioral inhibition and anxiety, from both the clinical and nonclinical cohorts, had significantly higher rates of two or more anxiety disorders than did parents of children with behavioral inhibition only and parents of children with no behavioral inhibition and no anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that the presence of parental loading for anxiety disorders may help to identify the subgroup of inhibited children at very high risk for developing childhood-onset anxiety disorders.

Adult↗

Evidence of familial association between attention deficit disorder and major affective disorders.

With the use of family study methods and assessments by "blinded" raters, we tested hypotheses about patterns of familial association between DSM-III attention deficit disorder (ADD) and affective disorders (AFFs) among first-degree relatives of clinically referred children and adolescents with ADD (73 probands, 264 relatives) and normal controls (26 probands, 92 relatives). Among the 73 ADD probands, 24 (33%) met criteria for AFFs (major depression, n = 15 [21%]; bipolar disorder, n = 8 [11%]; and dysthymia, n = 1 [1%]). After stratification of the ADD sample into those with AFFs (ADD + AFF) and those without AFF (ADD), familial risk analyses revealed the following: (1) the relatives of each ADD proband subgroup were at significantly greater risk for ADD than were relatives of normal controls; (2) the age-corrected morbidity risk for ADD was not significantly different between relatives of ADD and ADD + AFF (27% vs 22%); however, these two risks were significantly greater than the risk to relatives of normal controls (5%); (3) the risk for any AFF (bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or dysthymia) was not significantly different between relatives of ADD probands and ADD + AFF probands (28% and 25%), but these two risks were significantly greater than the risk to relatives of normal controls (4%); (4) ADD and AFFs did not cosegregate within families; and (5) there was no evidence for nonrandom mating. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that ADD and AFFs may share common familial vulnerabilities.

Adolescent↗

Further evidence of an association between behavioral inhibition and anxiety disorders: results from a family study of children from a non-clinical sample.

Behavioral inhibition to the unfamiliar, identifiable in early childhood and reflecting the tendency to exhibit withdrawal and excessive autonomic arousal to challenge or novelty, has been found to be prevalent in young offspring of parents with panic disorder and agoraphobia and associated with risk for anxiety disorders in these children. Using family study methodology, we now examine psychopathology in first degree relatives of children from a non-clinical longitudinal cohort identified at 21 months of age as inhibited (N = 22) or uninhibited (N = 19) and followed through the age of seven years for a study of preservation of temperamental characteristics in normal children. These assessments were compared with evaluations of the first degree relatives of 20 normal comparison children. Psychiatric assessments of parents (N = 110) and siblings (N = 72) were based on structured interviews conducted blindly to the temperamental classification of the index child. Parents of inhibited children, compared with parents of uninhibited and normal controls, had significantly higher risks for multiple (greater than or equal to 2) anxiety disorders, continuing anxiety disorders (both a childhood and adulthood anxiety disorder in the same parent), social phobia, and childhood avoidant and overanxious disorders. These findings provide additional support for the hypothesis linking behavioral inhibition with risk for anxiety disorder.

Adolescent↗

A high risk study of young children of parents with panic disorder and agoraphobia with and without comorbid major depression.

Using family study methodology and psychiatric assessments by blind raters, this study tested hypotheses about patterns of familial association between anxiety and depressive disorders among high risk children of clinically referred parents. The study design contrasted five groups of children defined by the presence or absence in a parent of (1) panic disorder and agoraphobia (PDAG) without comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 14); (2) comorbid PDAG plus MDD (PDAG + MDD) (n = 25); (3) MDD without comorbid PDAG (n = 12); (4) other psychiatric disorders (n = 23); and (5) normal comparisons (n = 47). While the PDAG and PDAG + MDD groups had similarly elevated rates of anxiety disorders and MDD, offspring of MDD parents had an elevated rate of MDD but not of anxiety disorders. Among children of parents with PDAG + MDD, the presence of an anxiety disorder did not significantly increase the risk for MDD in the same child. Thus, anxiety and MDD did not cosegregate among children of PDAG parents. These findings indicate that parental PDAG, either alone or comorbidly with MDD, increases the risk for both anxiety and depressive disorders in offspring. In the absence of PDAG, however, parental MDD does not appear to place children at risk for anxiety disorders. These findings are most consistent with the hypothesis that PDAG and PDAG + MDD share common familial etiologic factors while MDD alone is an independent disorder. More studies are needed to confirm these preliminary findings as well as to identify mediating factors that influence the transition from childhood to adult anxiety disorders.

Agoraphobia↗

Neuropsychological probes of fronto-limbic system dysfunction in schizophrenia. Olfactory identification and Wisconsin Card Sorting performance.

Schizophrenic patients and normal control subjects took the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) as dual neuropsychological 'probes' of orbitofrontal (OF) and dorsolateral (DL) prefrontal function respectively. Patients were significantly impaired on both tasks compared to controls. UPSIT and WCST performance were uncorrelated in patients but were positively correlated in controls. The lack of correlation found in the patients suggests that the tasks may be tapping independent dysfunctions in schizophrenia reflecting differential impairment in fronto-limbic brain systems. Individual profiles of preserved and impaired performance on the UPSIT and WCST suggested that three schizophrenic patients had OF dysfunction, five had DL dysfunction and seven had a generalized (OF and DL) frontal system dysfunction. The reduced ability of schizophrenic patients to identify odors was largely independent of many deficits or confounds typically associated with schizophrenia and did not appear to be simply a function of generalized deficit. These data are preliminary and require replication with larger samples and validation with other measures of fronto-limbic system dysfunction.

Adolescent↗

Wisconsin Card Sorting Test performance over time in schizophrenia. Preliminary evidence from clinical follow-up and neuroleptic reduction studies.

Two groups of schizophrenic patients took the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) in separate follow-up studies; a naturalistic clinical follow-up (n = 12, study 1) and a neuroleptic reduction study (n = 10, study 2). 11 of 22 subjects (50%) performed well on the task at one or both time points. In each study no group differences were found between time 1 and time 2 performance on three WCST variables. However, correlational analyses revealed considerable within-subject variation on the WCST in the study 1 sample, which was composed of younger and more acute patients than those in study 2. This variation was present despite within-subject stability on the WAIS-R Vocabulary and Block Design subtests. For the sample combined, a trend was found (p = 0.12) linking better WCST performance at either time period with higher WAIS-R Vocabulary scores. This intra-subject variability may reflect fluctuations in neuropsychological performance in schizophrenics who maintain the residual capacity to do the task. These findings highlight the importance of longitudinal studies of neuropsychological functioning in schizophrenia. Studies of larger samples are needed to confirm these initial results.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Separation of DSM-III attention deficit disorder and conduct disorder: evidence from a family-genetic study of American child psychiatric patients.

Using family study methodology and assessments by blind raters, this study tested hypotheses about patterns of familial association between DSM-III attention deficit disorder (ADD) and antisocial disorders (childhood conduct (CD) and oppositional disorder (OPD) and adult antisocial personality disorder) among 457 first-degree relatives of clinically referred children and adolescents with ADD (73 probands, 264 relatives), psychiatric (26 probands, 101 relatives) and normal controls (26 probands, 92 relatives). Among the 73 ADD probands, 33 (45%) met criteria for OPD, 24 (33%) met criteria for CD, and 16 (22%) had no antisocial diagnosis. After stratifying the ADD sample into those with CD (ADD + CD), those with OPD (ADD + OPD) and those with neither (ADD) familial risk analysis revealed the following: (1) relatives of each ADD proband subgroup were at significantly greater risk for ADD than relatives of both psychiatric and normal controls: (2) the morbidity risk for ADD was highest among relatives of ADD + CD probands (38%), moderate among relatives of ADD + OPD (17%) and ADD probands (24%) and lowest among relatives of psychiatric and normal controls (5% for both); (3) the risk for any antisocial disorder was highest among relatives of ADD + CD (34%) and ADD + OPD (24%) which were significantly greater than the risk to relatives of ADD probands (11%), psychiatric (7%) and normal controls (4%); and (4) both ADD and antisocial disorders occurred in the same relatives more often than expected by chance alone. Although these findings suggest that ADD with and without antisocial disorders may be aetiologically distinct disorders, they are also consistent with a multifactorial hypothesis in which ADD, ADD + OPD and ADD + CD fall along a continuum of increasing levels of familial aetiological factors and, correspondingly, severity of illness.

Adolescent↗

A family-genetic study of girls with DSM-III attention deficit disorder.

OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated family-genetic risk factors in girls with attention deficit disorder and compared these results to findings in the authors' previous study of boys with attention deficit disorder. METHOD: Twenty-one girls with attention deficit disorder and 20 normal comparison girls were consecutively ascertained from a pool of existing and new referrals from a pediatric psychopharmacology unit and a medical pediatric unit of the same urban hospital. First-degree relatives of the attention deficit disordered girls (N = 69) and of the normal girls (N = 71) were also assessed. Both groups of girls and their relatives were evaluated on the basis of structured diagnostic interviews conducted by raters who were blind to the clinical status of the probands. RESULTS: The relatives of the girls with attention deficit disorder had higher risks for attention deficit disorder, antisocial disorders, major depression, and anxiety disorders. The higher risk for attention deficit disorder could not be accounted for by gender or generation of relative, age of proband, social class, or family intactness. These findings are highly consistent with the findings in the authors' previous study of boys with attention deficit disorder, which was conducted with identical methods. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides further support for the validity of the diagnosis of attention deficit disorder in girls and suggests that the genders share a common biological substrate.

Adolescent↗

Familial association between attention deficit disorder and anxiety disorders.

BACKGROUND AND METHOD: This study tested hypotheses about patterns of familial association between attention deficit disorder (ADD) and anxiety disorders among 356 first-degree relatives of 73 clinically referred children with ADD and 26 normal comparison children. Through structured diagnostic interviews with trained raters, relatives were assessed for adult and childhood psychopathology. After stratifying the sample of ADD probands into those with anxiety disorders and those without, the authors examined patterns of aggregation of ADD and anxiety disorders in the relatives of these probands as well as in the relatives of the normal comparison subjects. RESULTS: Familial risk analyses revealed that 1) familial risk for anxiety disorders was higher among all ADD probands than among the normal subjects; 2) familial risk for ADD was similar in the relatives of the ADD probands and of the probands with ADD and anxiety disorder; 3) the relatives of the ADD probands with and without anxiety disorders were at greater risk for ADD than the relatives of the normal subjects; 4) the risk for anxiety disorders was two times higher in the relatives of the probands who had ADD with anxiety disorder than in those of the ADD probands without anxiety disorders; and 5) there was a tendency for ADD probands' relatives who themselves had ADD to have a higher risk for anxiety disorders than ADD probands' relatives who did not have ADD (cosegregation). CONCLUSIONS: The results were most consistent with the hypotheses indicating that ADD and anxiety disorders segregate independently in families.

Adolescent↗

Psychiatric correlates of behavioral inhibition in young children of parents with and without psychiatric disorders.

Behavioral inhibition is a laboratory-based temperamental category by the tendency to constrict behavior in unfamiliar situations and assumed to reflect low thresholds of limbic arousal. We previously found behavioral inhibition prevalent in the offspring of parents with panic disorder and agoraphobia. In this report, we examined the psychiatric correlates of behavioral inhibition by evaluating the sample of offspring of parents with panic disorder and agoraphobia, previously dichotomized as inhibited and not inhibited, and an existing epidemiologically derived sample of children, followed by Kagan and colleagues and originally identified at 21 months of age as inhibited or uninhibited. A third group of healthy children was added for comparison. Our findings indicate that inhibited children had increased risk for multiple anxiety, overanxious, and phobic disorders. It is suggested that behavioral inhibition may be associated with risk for anxiety disorders in children.

Agoraphobia↗

Prolactin shifts after neuroleptic withdrawal.

Neuroleptic-induced alterations in serum prolactin levels may have important clinical implications. Twenty-two stable schizophrenic patients, taken off medication over a 3-week period, were followed for 40 weeks or until the neuroleptic was reinstituted. Serum prolactin levels were measured during neuroleptic treatment and during the neuroleptic-free period. When serum prolactin levels were plotted over time, 55% of the subjects showed shifting prolactin levels in the shape of a "V" (i.e., a fall in prolactin level preceding an increase in the level) in the early weeks following withdrawal. Subjects with the "V" shape had significantly lower prolactin levels during neuroleptic treatment than those without the "V" shape. The pathophysiological significance of the prolactin "V" pattern is uncertain. It is consistent, however, with transient dopaminergic hyperactivity following neuroleptic withdrawal.

Adult↗

Genetic transmission of major affective disorders: quantitative models and linkage analyses.

We comprehensively reviewed 2 types of studies aimed at specifying the mode of inheritance of major affective disorders: quantitative models and linkage analyses. Quantitative models attempt to represent the genetic mechanism responsible for the familial distribution of a disorder. Despite efforts to refine models by incorporating the bipolar-unipolar distinction or the sex effect, consistent support for a specific mode of transmission has not been found. Some mixed genetic models support single major locus inheritance, but transmission probabilities do not conform to Mendelian expectations. Linkage analysis is a more powerful technique used for testing the single gene hypothesis. Linkage results have also been inconsistent, showing moderate support for an X-linked variant of bipolar-related disorder and equivocal support for linkages to Chromosomes 6 and 11. However, relatively few genetic loci have been examined. Methodological factors, genetic heterogeneity, and phenotypic heterogeneity are discussed as potential explanations for inconsistent findings.

Bipolar Disorder↗

Family-genetic and psychosocial risk factors in DSM-III attention deficit disorder.

Using family study methodology and assessments made by blind raters, this study evaluated family-genetic and psychosocial risk factors for DSM-III attention deficit disorder (ADD) among the 457 first-degree relatives of clinically referred children and adolescents with ADD (N = 73), compared with psychiatric (N = 26) and normal controls (N = 26). Relatives of ADD probands had a higher morbidity risk for ADD (25.1% versus 5.3% versus 4.6%, ps less than 0.00001), antisocial disorders (25.3% versus 6.9% versus 4.2%, ps less than 0.00001), and mood disorders (27.1% versus 13.9%, p = 0.038 and 27.1% versus 3.6%, p = 0.00001) than did relatives of psychiatric and normal controls. The increased risk for ADD could not be accounted for by gender or generation of relative, the age of proband, social class, or the intactness of the family. These results confirm and extend previous findings indicating important family-genetic risk factors in ADD.

Adolescent↗

Parent-based diagnosis of attention deficit disorder predicts a diagnosis based on teacher report.

The literature evaluating agreement between parent and teacher reports on symptoms of attention deficit disorder (ADD) has repeatedly shown only modest correlations between these two sources of information. A more relevant statistic to this clinical issue, however, is the positive predictive power, the conditional probability that diagnostic criteria will be met by teacher's report if that diagnosis has been made based on parental report. In a population of 43 children (ages 4 to 17) satisfying clinical criteria for DSM-III ADD, parents and teachers independently completed them module on ADD derived from the Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents. Although correlations for individual symptoms were low to moderate, there was a 90% probability that the teacher report would result in a positive diagnosis given a positive parent diagnosis, indicating a very high probability that, in clinically referred children, a clinical diagnosis of ADD based on parent report will be corroborated by a teacher report.

Adolescent↗