Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2007. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Arthur D. Anastopoulos; submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 41-50).

Thesis PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 25, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Objectives: Available studies largely and consistently indicate that children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience significantly impaired quality of life (QoL). More research is required to enable an enhanced understanding of factors which contribute to the QoL of children with this diagnosis. In relation to children with ADHD, this thesis had two main aims: to review the extent to which children and their parents agree in their assessments of the child’s QoL; and to examine the impact of parent stress on the child’s QoL from both parent and child perspectives. Method: A systematic review of studies reporting matched parent-proxy reported and child self-reported quantitative QoL measures is described in journal article 1. Journal article 2 presents the findings from a cross-sectional, quantitative study involving a matched sample of 45 children with a diagnosis of ADHD, and their parents. Correlation and multiple regression analyses examine the relationship between parent stress and each of the informants’ ratings of the child’s QoL. Results: The findings of the systematic review indicated that in a clear majority of studies, children rated their QoL more highly than their parents. However, cautious interpretation is required as some of the studies were of poor methodological quality. In the empirical study, parent stress emerged as a significant predictor of parent proxy-ratings of child QoL, but not of self-rated QoL. Parents who rated their child’s QoL lower that their children had higher perceived stress than parents who rated their child’s QoL higher than their children. There were no significant differences in self-rated or parent-rated QoL between children with ADHD and children with a learning disability or with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In line with some previous research, agreement was poorer on psychosocial domains than physical domains. However, due to the relatively small sample size, the empirical study requires replication. Conclusions: The results of the systematic review suggest that parent and child ratings of the child’s QoL are not interchangeable in the context of ADHD. Possible explanations for this trend are discussed. The empirical study suggests that parent stress negatively impacts on children with ADHD, and that it is likely that children’s self-reports are affected by their impaired reflective capacity. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are discussed in relation to both articles.

Orientador: Olga Maria Piazentin Rolim Rodrigues / Banca: Maria de Lourdes Merighi Tabaquim / Banca: Ligia Ebner Melchiori / Resumo: O TDAH constitui um dos mais importantes transtornos do desenvolvimento dentre os problemas que afetam as crianças em suas relações com seu meio familiar, escolar e social. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a eficácia de um programa interventivo pedagógico-comportamental sobre TDAH para professores, a partir da avaliação da definição e identificação de sintomas do transtorno e, ainda, da indicação de alunos como possíveis portadores do mesmo. Analisou-se, também, o desempenho cognitivo e escolar dos alunos indicados. Para verificar os objetivos propostos dois estudos foram conduzidos sendo que o primeiro verificou o nível de informação dos professores sobre TDAH e o índice de indicações e, o segundo, analisou os efeitos do programa de intervenção e descreveu o desempenho escolar e intelectual dos alunos indicados. Participaram do primeiro estudo, 39 professores e do segundo, 15 deles, 84 pais e 86 alunos, de duas escolas municipais, de uma cidade de porte pequeno, do interior paulista. Para avaliar os conhecimentos sobre TDAH dos professores três instrumentos foram elaborados para este estudo: Inventário para Identificação de Sintomas de TDAH, Protocolo para definição de TDAH e indicação dos alunos com o transtorno e o Protocolo para Hipótese Diagnóstica de TDAH - versão para professores e para pais. Para avaliar o desempenho escolar das crianças foi utilizado o Teste de Desempenho Escolar (TDE) e para avaliar o desempenho intelectual foi utilizado as Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven - Escala Especial. Os resultados do Estudo 1 revelaram que 75% dos professores acertaram menos que 70% do conteúdo avaliado, assim como, não sabem definir TDAH. Mostraram, também, que 55% dos professores da Escola 1, mais experientes, acertaram mais de 71% das questões propostas... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: ADHD is one of the most important behavioral disorders among problems that affect children in their relationship with family, school and social environment. This study aimed at analyzing the efficacy of an interventive pedagogical-behavioral program on ADHD for teachers, based on the evaluation of definition and identification of symptoms of such disorder, as well as of the indication of students who were possible carriers of ADHD. The study also analyzed such sudents' cognitive and school performance. In order to check the aims proposed two studies were conducted. The first study verified the level of information of the teachers about ADHD and the percentage of students indicated as ADHD carriers, whereas the second study analyzed the effects of the intervention program as well as described school and intellectual performance of the students indicated. The first research involved 39 teachers and the second one involved 15, 84 parents and 86 students from two municipal schools of a small city in the countryside of São Paulo state. Three instruments were used in order to evaluate teachers' knowledge about ADHD: Inventory for the Identification of ADHD Symptoms, Protocol for the Definition of ADHD and the Indication of Students Carriers of ADHD, and Protocol for the ADHD Diagnosis Hypothesis - versions for parents and for teachers. In order to evaluate students' school performance, Academic Performance Index (API) was employed, and in order to evaluate their intelectual performance, Raven Colored Progressive Matrices Test-Special Scale was used. The results of the first research showed that 75% of the teachers got right answers in less than 70% of the content evaluated; they also do not know how to define ADHD. Results also showed that 55% of the teachers from School 1, more experienced, got right answers for more than... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a commonly occurring neurodevelopmental disorder in children, affecting 3-7% of children (APA, 2000). Despite the high prevalence of ADHD, conceptualization of its subtypes, ADHD-PI and ADHD-C, remains under debate. One method of describing psychopathology is through the use of personality traits. The current study evaluated relationships between ADHD subtypes, ADHD symptoms, and the Big Five in 83 children between 8 and 12 years of age. Children with ADHD were consistently rated as having lower Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness than children without ADHD. Additionally, children with ADHD-PI had the lowest Openness, and children with ADHD-C had the lowest Conscientiousness, although these results differed by rater. When evaluating the symptom domains of ADHD, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Instability were associated with H/I, whereas only Conscientiousness was associated with inattention. Hyperactivity, specifically, was related to Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Emotional Instability, whereas impulsivity was related to Conscientiousness and Emotional Instability only. Last, connections between the Emotional Regulation, Emotional Instability, and H/I are discussed. Implications regarding the use of personality measures to describe psychopathology in childhood are discussed, as are the challenges of using multiple raters in clinical populations.

The current study explored the relationship between middle frontal gyrus (MFG) volume and working memory in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia (RD). it was hypothesized that there would be group differences in middle frontal gyrus volume and working memory performance, and that there would be a relationship between middle frontal gyrus volume and working memory performance. Results indicated that there was a trend of smaller left hemisphere middle frontal gyrus volumes in the RD groups compared to the non-RD groups. In addition, when total brain volume, Passage Comprehension and Attention Problems were included as covariates, Sequences, a verbal working memory task, significantly predicted left MFG volume. Finally, when exploratory analyses were conducted, Passage Comprehension significantly predicted both left and right MFG volumes when both Reading Fluency and Letter Word Identification were also included in the model as predictors. Little research has been conducted on the relationship between MFG volumes and RD and ADHD groups. Significant findings and trends reported here related to RD groups and reading-related tasks indicate that further research exploring the relationship between complex working memory tasks like Passage Comprehension and MFG volumes is warranted.

Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

O estresse durante o desenvolvimento está associado com diversas desordens neurocomportamentais, que podem persistir ao longo da vida. A hiperatividade é um dos transtornos comportamentais que, com maior frequência, observa-se em humanos submetidos ao estresse precoce. Esse transtorno pode ser a manifestação clínica predominante, ou mesclar-se com déficit de atenção, impulsividade e retardo da aprendizagem, constituindo o Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH), com número de casos diagnosticados em ascensão. Diversos protocolos experimentais utilizam a separação materna (SM) de roedores neonatos para mimetizar as consequências do estresse precoce em humanos. Esta predileção por roedores recém-nascidos se deve à sua equivalência aproximada com fetos humanos no terceiro trimestre da gestação em termos de neurodesenvolvimento, quando ocorre o maior crescimento do Sistema Nervoso Central fetal. Neste trabalho, camundongos suíços neonatos foram submetidos a sessões diárias de isolamento com separação materna, entre o 2 e o 10 dias de vida pós-natal (PN2 a PN10), variando-se a temperatura de isolamento dos filhotes, que permaneciam sem aquecimento (na temperatura do biotério, entre 22 e 25C) ou eram mantidos aquecidos a 37C durante essas sessões. Portanto, foram três grupos experimentais: isolamento aquecido com SM; isolamento não aquecido com SM; e controle. Os animais do grupo controle foram pesados em PN2 e PN10 e, prontamente, devolvidos às progenitoras. Todos os animais foram desmamados e sexados em PN21, não sendo perturbados até a realização dos testes neurocomportamentais, a partir de PN30, que incluíram os Testes de Campo Aberto e de Esquiva Inibitória. Num segundo estudo, foram realizadas dosagens séricas da corticosterona basal e dos hormônios tireoidianos nos três grupos experimentais, em PN6, PN10 e PN30. Finalmente, num terceiro estudo, camundongos do grupo controle e do grupo submetido ao isolamento não aquecido com SM foram tratados com vimpocetina (20g/kg), um neuroprotetor potencial, ou com veículo (Dimetilsulfóxido), a fim de avaliar os efeitos da vimpocetina na atividade locomotora. O 1 estudo demonstrou que a temperatura foi um fator crítico para a manifestação de hiperatividade locomotora no Teste do Campo Aberto, que ocorreu, somente, nos animais do grupo submetido ao isolamento não aquecido. Adicionalmente, não houve diferenças entre os grupos experimentais no Teste da Esquiva Inibitória, quanto à memória e à aprendizagem. O 2 estudo demonstrou que a temperatura do isolamento influenciou os níveis da corticosterona basal e dos hormônios tireoidianos em PN10 e em PN30. No 3 estudo, a vimpocetina reduziu a hiperatividade locomotora no grupo de animais submetidos ao isolamento não aquecido com SM. De todo o exposto, conclui-se que o isolamento com SM de camundongos suíços neonatos à temperatura de 22 a 25C aumentou a atividade locomotora nesses animais, e que a vimpocetina foi capaz de atenuar esse comportamento, sem aumento da mortalidade. Finalmente, considerando-se o maior risco de desenvolvimento do TDAH em crianças e adolescentes com históricos de prematuridade, levanta-se a hipótese de que o estresse térmico pelo frio seja um dos fatores envolvidos na fisiopatogenia da hiperatividade nesses casos. / The stress during development is associated with several neurobehavioral disorders that can persist into postnatal life. Hyperactivity is one of these disorders that is frequently observed in humans early exposed to the early stress. This disorder may be the predominant clinical manifestation, or merge itself with attention deficit, impulsivity and impaired learning, composing the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), with the number of diagnosed cases on the rise. Several experimental protocols use maternal separation (MS) of newborn rodents to mimic the effects of early life stress in humans. This predilection for newborn rodents is due to its approximate equivalence with human fetuses at the 3rd trimester of pregnancy in terms of neurodevelopment, when there is the greatest growth of the fetal Central Nervous System (CNS). This work was carried out in three separate studies. In the first study, Swiss mice underwent daily sessions of isolation with maternal separation between the 2nd day of postnatal life (PN2) to PN10, varying the isolation temperature of the puppies, that were kept without heating (with the room temperature between 22 and 25 C) or heated at 37 C during these sessions. Therefore, we had three groups: warmed isolation with MS; unheated isolation with MS; and control. Control group animals were weighed in PN2 and PN10 and promptly returned to its progenitors. All animals were weaned and sexed in PN21 and were tested from PN30 in the Open Field and Inhibitory Passive Avoidance. In a second study, serum basal corticosterone and thyroid hormones were measured in the three experimental groups at PN6, PN10 and PN30. Finally, in a third study, mice from the control group and the group unheated isolation with MS were treated with Vinpocetine (20g / kg), a drug with potential neuroprotective effects, or vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide), in order to evaluate the effects of Vinpocetine on locomotor activity. The 1st study showed that the temperature was critical for the manifestation of locomotor hyperactivity in the Open Field Test, since it took place only in the group submitted to the unheated isolation. There were no differences among groups in the Inhibitory Avoidance Test concerning to memory and learning. The 2nd study showed that the temperature during isolation influenced significantly the levels of basal corticosterone and thyroid hormones in PN10 and PN30. In the 3rd study, Vinpocetine reduced the locomotor hyperactivity in animals submitted to the unheated isolation. Our results suggest that the temperature during neonatal isolation is an important factor to manifestation of neuroendocrine disorders caused by early stress in mice, and that Vinpocetine was able to mitigate them, without increasing mortality. Finally, considering that many cases of hyperactivity in human children are related to prematurity, raises the hypothesis that thermal stress by cold is one of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of hyperactivity in these cases.

Nesta tese objetivamos analisar a compreensão de professoras de escolas públicas sobre o Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade (TDAH) e as suas práticas pedagógicas, junto a alunos com esta necessidade especial. Os esforços compilados no presente estudo nasceram da nossa prática profissional, num processo de múltiplas experiências e observações em ambientes escolares onde atuamos diretamente, somados a carência de profissionais habilitados sobre a temática, na área da Educação. Por isso, buscamos compreender como os professores têm trabalhado pedagogicamente com seus alunos com TDAH. Apesar dos muitos cursos de formação docente, os nossos professores têm poucas oportunidades de conhecer melhor o TDAH, em especial no Estado da Paraíba, onde este tema não é suficientemente discutido. O TDAH tem como principal característica a ausência de auto controle ocasionada por fatores orgânicos. Neste trabalho trouxemos a discussão sobre o TDAH, desde seus conceitos às práticas de interação apresentadas por diferentes autores. Realizamos uma pesquisa nas escolas do município de João Pessoa, junto a oito professoras, que tinham tido alunos com TDAH em suas classes, as quais responderam às questões em uma entrevista semiestruturada. Seis entre as oito professoras entrevistadas haviam concluído curso superior, no entanto, nenhuma delas realizou curso na área da Educação Especial ou para lidar com pessoas com TDAH. Os relatos dessas professoras revelaram que o trabalho com as crianças com TDAH, em geral, não diferia dos demais alunos da classe. Contudo, algumas professoras mostraram uma certa flexibilidade, como por exemplo, oferecendo outras atividades para as crianças com TDAH, quando esses alunos conseguiam concluir suas tarefas com mais rapidez. Foi verificado que o aluno com TDAH chegava à sala de aula sem nenhum suporte profissional, com exceção do esperado trabalho do professor. Conforme constatamos, poucas professoras tinham conhecimento prévio de que seu aluno possuía diagnóstico do TDAH. No entanto, isso não motivou as professoras ou a escola a buscar subsídios para que o aluno com TDAH fosse direcionado adequadamente. Para Benczik e Bromberg (2003), a presença de professores compreensivos, que colaborem com a criança, é imperativo para o desenvolvimento do potencial do aluno com TDAH. Como discutido, este transtorno envolve três tipos: o desatento, o hiperativo e o impulsivo. Isto nos levou a perceber que as atividades precisariam ser mais especificas, pois cada tipo de TDAH apresenta peculiaridades diferenciadas, ou seja, que cada um deles apresenta necessidades educacionais especiais específicas que demandam atendimento diferenciado. É relevante, portanto, que sejam realizados estudos que pontuem e trabalhem cada tipo de TDAH enfatizando suas especificidades visando um melhor desenvolvimento acadêmico e social destes alunos. / In this thesis we had as objective to analyze the understanding of public school teachers about the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as well as their pedagogical practices with students with this special need. The efforts for the present study raised from our professional practice, in a process of multiple experiences and observations in school settings where we worked, added to the lack of professionals specialized in this theme among the area of Education. Therefore, we seek to understand how teachers have been working pedagogically with their students with ADHD. In spite of many teacher formation courses, our teachers have few opportunities to know more about the ADHD, especially in the State of Paraiba, where this theme is not sufficiently discussed. In this work we brought the discussion about ADHD, from its concept to the interaction practices presented by different authors. We undertook a research in schools of the City of Joao Pessoa, with eight teachers who had in their classes, students with ADHD, who answered questions in a semi-structured interview. Six among the eight teachers interviewed had concluded higher education, however, none had done any courses in the area of Special Education or geared to deal with persons with ADHD. The reports of these teachers showed that the work with ADHD children, in general, was not different that with the other students of the class. But some teachers showed a certain flexibility, for example, offering other activities for children with ADHD when these students were able to finish their tasks more quickly. It was verified that the student with ADHD arrived at the classroom without any professional support, with the exception of the expected work of the teacher. As we were able to notice, few teachers had previous knowledge that the student had ADHD diagnosis. However, this fact was not enough to motivate them or the school to search for subsidies in order for the student with ADHD to be adequately directed. For Benczik and Bromberg (2003), the presence of understanding teachers who collaborate with the child, is very important for the students with a ADHD potential development. As discussed, this disorder involves three types: non attentive, the hyperactive, and the impulsive. This lead us to perceive that the activities should be more specific, since each type of ADHD presents different peculiarities, that is, each one of them presents specific educational special needs that demand differential treatment. It is relevant, therefore, that be undertaken studies that focus and work each ADHD type, with emphasis in their specificities in order to achieve a better academic and social development for this students.