The Effect of Long-Acting Methylphenidate and Modafinil on Attention and Impulsivity of Children with ADHD using a Continuous Performance Test: A Comparative Study

Objectives Given the importance of having a continuous performance for the academic and social life of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), in this study, a continuous performance test was used to compare the effect of long-acting methylphenidate and modafinil on attention and impulsivity of these children. Materials & Methods A randomized clinical trial was conducted on 50 children aged 6 to 12 years with ADHD in the child and adolescent psychiatric departments of Imam Hossein and Mofid hospitals, Tehran, Iran. The children were selected by availability sampling and randomly divided into two groups of 25. One group was treated with long-acting methylphenidate and the other with modafinil for 14 days. The continuous performance test was carried out before and after the treatment. The obtained data were analyzed by F and t tests Results Long-acting methylphenidate and modafinil were both effective in improving attention and impulsivity in children with ADHD. There was no significant difference between the two drugs in terms of effectiveness on attention and impulsivity. Conclusion The findings of this study showed that long-acting methylphenidate and modafinil are equally effective in improving attention and impulsivity in children aged 6 to 12 years with ADHD

Experiences of parents of children with psychiatric disorder from Covid‐19 pandemic and its related quarantine: A qualitative study

Abstract Introduction Owing to the considerable mortality caused by Covid‐19, different countries have made some decisions for dealing with this virus, one of which was quarantine. It was shown that a range of behavioral and emotional changes may exacerbate in children while staying more at home, and parents may then experience these positive or negative behavioral changes. The present study was conducted to examine the experiences of families with children with psychiatric disorders in a psychiatric outpatient clinic in Iran. Method The phenomenological method, which is a qualitative approach, was used in this study. The population was the parents of children with psychiatric disorders referred to the pediatric psychiatric clinic of Imam Hossein Hospital. Sampling was purposeful, which continued until data saturation. Finally, the number of included participants reached 14. As well, the Colaizzi method was used for data analysis. Results The results of this study included 12 secondary codes and 10 tertiary codes, which were divided into three main thematic groups as follows: effective factors for improving behavior, effective factors for worsening behavior, and affective factors on creating a new behavior during quarantine. Conclusion In conclusion, quarantine, social restrictions, closure of schools, and online classes can affect the mental health status of children and adolescents in different ways, especially in children with a history of psychiatric disorders

‎ Comparison of Creativity between Children with and without ‎Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: ‎A Case-Control ‎Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare creativity in children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity ‎disorder. Method: This was an analytic and descriptive study. Participants were 33 children aged 7-12 years selected from a ‎child and adolescent psychiatric clinic at Imam Hossein hospital (Tehran, Iran), who were diagnosed with ‎ADHD by a child and adolescent psychiatrist. They met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD and had ‎no comorbidity according to K-SADS (Kiddi-Scadule for Affective disorders and Schizophrenia). They ‎were requested not to take any medication. They took the Figural TTCT (Torrance Test of Creativity ‎Thinking) and Raven Intelligence test after using medication. Thirty-three age and sex-matched children ‎selected from the regional schools were recruited for the control group. They did not have any ‎psychiatric disorders according to K-SADS. The Figural TTCT and Raven Intelligence test were conducted ‎for the controls as well. ‎ Results: No statistically significant difference was found in the intelligence score and the mean±SD of the total ‎score of creativity between children with ADHD (125.2 ± 42.6) and the control group (130.6 ± 47.5) (P ‎value = 0.49). Children with ADHD had worse function in fluency and flexibility items and were not ‎different in originality and elaboration items.‎ Conclusion: The creativity of children with ADHD is not different from that of the control group.

Validation of Persian version of PHQ-9 for diagnosis of major depressive episode in psychiatric wards in IRAN

Major depressive disorder is one of the most serious and disabling psychiatric disorders. It can be followed by medical problems, impaired individual functioning, reduced quality of life and mortality (1-3). The prevalence varies among different countries. This discrepancy depends on genetics, environmental parameters, racial factors, cultural differences in perceiving diagnostic parameters, psychometric characteristics of diagnostic tools and sampling protocol (3). Major depressive episode may happen during major depressive disorder (unipolar depression) and also in bipolar disorder type I and II patients