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At least 343 records · Page 19Linked to original sources

Neuropsychological assessment of attention problems in pathological gamblers.

Deficits in executive, frontally mediated attention processes have been observed in substance abusers. A significant rate of childhood histories of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has also been reported in this population, creating the question of whether attention problems predated addiction or were secondary to neurological drug or alcohol effects in pathological gamblers. To address this issue, the current study compared 33 non-substance-abusing pathological gamblers with 33 nonaddicted controls on nine attention measures and childhood behavior questionnaires. Gamblers performed significantly worse than controls on higher order attention measures and reported more childhood behaviors consistent with attention deficits. Results suggest attention deficits may be a risk factor for development of addictive disorders.

Adult↗

Persistent preceding focal neurologic deficits in children with chronic Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis.

Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis is a self-limiting disease with few sequelae. Persistence of neurologic deficits prior to and after the acute illness has yet to be described in children. We describe five children with persistent cognitive and focal neurologic deficits due to chronic Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis with various T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities. Clinical features were a 9-year-old boy with aphasia and apraxia, an 11-year-old girl with impulsivity and inappropriate behavior, a 17-year-old boy with deterioration of cognitive skills and judgment, a 5-year-old boy with complex-partial seizures, and a 6-year-old girl with obsessive-compulsive behavior. All patients had elevated serum Epstein-Barr virus titers for acute infection, with cerebrospinal fluid polymerase chain reaction positive for Epstein-Barr virus in four patients. Three children were treated with methylprednisolone with minimal improvement without changes on magnetic resonance imaging. Epstein-Barr virus encephalitis can present with chronic and insidious neurologic symptoms and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children with acute or chronic neurologic illness of unknown etiology.

Adolescent↗

Illegal behaviors in problem gambling: analysis of data from a gambling helpline.

Problem gambling behaviors, particularly the most severe form, which is pathological gambling (PG), represent an emerging public health problem. Compared with the general population, individuals with problem gambling are more likely to have reports of legal issues, including commission of crimes, arrest, and incarceration. The goal of the present study is to examine the characteristics of individuals seeking help for gambling problems with regard to reports of illegal behavior secondary to gambling. Individuals with gambling problems were identified through use of a 24-hour gambling helpline, and information regarding the identified problem gambler was investigated with respect to reported presence or absence of gambling-related illegal behaviors. Identified gamblers with reported gambling-related illegal behaviors compared with those without such behaviors appeared to experience more severe gambling-related problems. Despite being on average younger, gamblers with acknowledged gambling-related illegal behaviors were more likely to have reports of having problems with multiple forms of gambling, debts to acquaintances, been suicidal secondary to gambling, used alcohol or drugs excessively, and received mental health treatment. Secondary analyses of the subgroup of gamblers with gambling-related illegal behaviors revealed that those with reports of arrest or incarceration secondary to gambling compared with those with gambling-related illegal behaviors but without arrest or incarceration secondary to gambling were more likely to have features similar to those described for individuals with antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). That is, the gambler with reported arrest or incarceration secondary to gambling was more likely to be male, unemployed, single, and have reports of problems with excessive drug or alcohol use. In contrast, the gamblers acknowledging gambling-related illegal behaviors but not arrest or incarceration secondary to gambling were predominantly female and more likely to have reports of problems with non-strategic forms of gambling (e.g., slot machine), owing money to legitimate sources of borrowing, having filed for bankruptcy, and having family problems related to gambling. The findings indicate: (1) individuals with reported legal problems secondary to gambling represent a more ill subpopulation of problem gamblers; and (2) there exist separate subgroups of gamblers with gambling-related illegal behaviors (i.e., those with or without reported arrest or incarceration secondary to gambling) with strikingly different characteristics and possibly different treatment needs. The results of the present study highlight the importance of the identification and treatment of individuals with gambling problems with respect to legal issues.

Adult↗

[The psychopathy-concept and its psychometric evaluation in childhood and adolescence].

In accordance with Robert Hare's concept, over twenty years the word psychopathy is used to describe a specific combination of affective and interpersonal traits in adults as subtype of antisocial personality disorder. Recently in North America personality traits of psychopathy have also been studied in juveniles (and children). The Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL-YV) was developed to take the special conditions of adolescents into account and focuses on assessing personality dimensions from age 12 upwards. In juveniles with a high score, research with the PCL-YV demonstrated for example a lack of empathy, impulsivity and social adjustment disorder. Furthermore, researchers found associations between the number and severity of violent offences, early drug abuse and heightened recidivism. This paper discusses the concept of psychopathy for adolescents on the basis of 3 case reports. Biological determinants, experimental results and diagnostic aspects are described.

Adolescent↗

Computerized neuropsychological examination of impulsiveness: A selective review.

There is a rapidly accumulating body of knowledge related to the neurobiology of impulsiveness from multidisciplinary neuropsychological and neuroimaging studies. This paper reviews recent research on impulsiveness in the context of neuropsychological theory and research. It has been emphasized that the controversy regarding the results of neuropsychological studies is related to different aspects of impulsiveness. The term "impulsivity" is related to more than one anatomical network among several brain regions. Impaired inhibition control, which has cognitive and behavioral dimensions, has a heterogeneous nature. Analysis of performance suggests that impulsivity includes three cognitive mechanisms: "prepotent inhibition," "interruptive inhibition" and "interference control,' each having separate neurological bases. Based on neuropsychological data it has been stated that both the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cortex are functionally disturbed among impulsive individuals. Bringing together knowledge from clinical experience, neuroimaging examination and neuropsychological assessment will lead to better and wider understanding of behavioral symptoms in clinical psychiatric practice.

Anxiety Disorders↗

[Arson usually is not pyromania].

Three patients, two males of 37 and 38 years and one female of 23 years, committed arson inspired by complicated psychiatric problems. They did not meet the specific diagnostic criteria of pyromania. Arson as a rule is not the same thing as pyromania.

Adult↗

[Hoarding and severe neglect. A case report].

Severe neglect of the living space due to excessive collection of unusable objects and refuse has been named "Vermuellung" (complete congestion with garbage) since 1985 in the German literature. The internationally used terms 'hoarding' or 'Diogenes syndrome' are in fact neither synonyms nor direct translations of the term. The condition is a problem mainly in social and geriatric psychiatry, yet it is seen also in young subjects without psychopathologic features. A frequent cause for the condition is obsessive-compulsive disorder, but several other disorders are associated with it. A 58-year-old female patient with severe Vermuellung due to obsessive-compulsive disorder is presented.

Aging↗

Reactive hypoglycemic tendency among arsonists.

A reactive hypoglycemic tendency during the glucose tolerance test was connected with fire-setting behavior. These hypoglycemic arsonists not only fulfilled the criteria for either intermittent explosive disorder or violent antisocial personality, but also those for borderline personality disorder. They seemed to differ from other arsonists in alcohol abuse and behavior during the fire-setting acts, and, in personality profile in MMPI, also differed from classical violent offenders with intermittent explosive disorder.

Adult↗

Child firesetters: a study of three populations.

Child firesetting constitutes a serious and widespread problem, yet little definitive evidence exists distinguishing child firesetters from their nonfiresetting peers. The authors studied the characteristics of 186 firesetters and 165 age- and sex-matched controls at two state psychiatric hospitals for children, six community mental health centers, and a children's medical hospital. Their findings failed to corroborate results of other studies that have suggested correlations between firesetting and enuresis, sexual conflicts, low intelligence, large family size, economic deprivation, adoption, and a diagnosis of psychosis. However, the study did support the finding, reported in other studies, that firesetters tend to have conduct problems, such as disobedience and aggressiveness, and it also found that firesetters experienced significantly more emotional neglect and physical abuse. The results underscore the importance of parental nurturing and early intervention for children who are abused and neglected.

Child↗

Rasch analysis of inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive behaviour in young children and the link with academic achievement.

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) criteria from the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders were used to assess a large sample of children at the end of their first year at school in England. These data were explored using Rasch measurement and the measures for the items together with their frequencies are reported. The data were further analysed in three ways: a) The results were compared with a previous similar analysis of college students. b) A principal components analysis of the item residuals from the Rasch analysis was conducted. c) The measures were linked to reading and mathematics attainment assessed at three different time points. The exploration supported previous work and theoretical positions, and in doing so raised issues about the appropriateness of the use of the criteria across all ages. It also suggested that one of the currently recognised ADHD sub-types could be further sub-divided into verbal and physical hyperactivity. The links to academic achievement raised questions about the integrity of the currently recognised ADHD sub-types and the paper calls for further investigations.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Group and case study of the dysexecutive syndrome in alcoholism without amnesia.

OBJECTIVES: To test the dysexecutive syndrome (DES) hypothesis of chronic alcoholism by the neuropsychological group and case study approaches. METHODS: A comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, including the "behavioural assessment of dysexecutive syndrome", a battery of tests recently designed to be "ecologically valid", was administered to 17 patients with chronic alcoholism without amnesia to examine executive functions, intelligence, and memory. In terms of each neuropsychological measure, reciprocal analyses of group means and individual case profiles were conducted: for the first contrasting the alcoholic patients with 17 age matched healthy subjects; and for the second making intersubject and intrasubject comparison of the patients, according to percentile basis impairment indices obtained from the control subjects. RESULTS: Despite relatively unimpaired memory and intelligence, the patients as a whole had the impairment of a wide range of executive domains, extending to "everyday" problem solving as well as more elementary aspects of executive functions, such as visuospatial performance, mental set shifting, and the inhibition of habitual behaviour. The profile analysis divided individual patients into four groups: the representative DES characterised by a clear dissociation between impaired executive functions and preserved intelligence and memory; the group of a modified dysexecutive pattern in which memory as well as executive functions were impaired with intelligence preserved; the group of general cognitive deterioration; and the group of unimpaired cognitive functioning. About two thirds of the patients were categorised into either the first or the second type of DES. CONCLUSION: DES characterised by the even more pronounced impairment of executive functions than of intelligence and memory afflicts a considerable proportion of patients with chronic alcoholism. Due to its subtlety, this would be potentially left out, unless appropriate behavioural measures were administered. This condition may prevent patients with alcoholism from achieving full recovery and benefiting from rehabilitation.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Childhood conduct problems, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and inattention as predictors of adult criminal activity.

This study reconsiders the relationship of childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and childhood conduct problems with adult criminal activity by clarifying the role of the cardinal behaviors associated with the DSM-IV ADHD subtypes (inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity). Since their childhood (average age 9 years), 230 male and 75 female subjects have been followed prospectively and were interviewed as young adults (average age 26 at follow-up). Early childhood behavior ratings by parents and teachers were examined to determine the role of conduct problems, hyperactivity-impulsivity, and inattention in predicting adult criminal involvement as measured by both official arrest records and self-report. Results show that both hyperactivity-impulsivity and early conduct problems independently, as well as jointly, predict a greater likelihood of having an arrest record for males, but not for females. For male subjects with 10 or more self-reported crimes, both early conduct problems and hyperactivity-impulsivity were significant predictors, both alone and in combination. Therefore, it appears that predominantly the symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity, but not inattention, contribute to the risk for criminal involvement over and above the risk associated with early conduct problems alone.

Adult↗