Do inattention and hyperactivity symptoms equal scholastic impairment? evidence from three European cohorts

Background Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects many children, adolescents, and adults and is associated with a number of impairments. Poor academic performance is related to ADHD in clinical samples. However, it is unclear to what extent core ADHD symptoms and scholastic impairment are related in non-referred school-aged children. Methods Data come from three population-based cohorts from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, which are part of the Nordic Network on ADHD. The combined sample size was 13,087 children who were studied at ages 7–8 or 10–12 years. Teachers rated children on inattention and hyperactivity symptoms and reported children's scholastic performance on basic skills. Results There was a significant association in all cohorts between core ADHD symptoms and scholastic impairment in reading, writing, and mathematics. Particularly, inattention was related to a two to tenfold increase in scholastic impairment. Prevalence of hyperactivity symptoms was similar across the three cohorts, but inattention was lowest among children from the Finnish cohort, after stratification on living conditions. Conclusion These results extend previous reports of scholastic impairment among children with clinically diagnosed ADHD to non-referred population samples from three European countries. Surveillance policies should be implemented in school systems to catch children in need of behavioral or scholastic support early

Neurologic disorders in 4858 survivors of central nervous system tumors in childhood-an Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia (ALiCCS) study

Background: A comprehensive overview of neurologic complications among survivors of central nervous system (CNS) tumors in childhood is lacking. We aimed to investigate the risk for these disorders in a large, population-based study with outcome measures from nationwide hospital registries. Methods: We identified 4858 five-year survivors with diagnoses of CNS tumor in childhood in Denmark, Iceland, Finland, and Sweden in 1943-2007, and 166658 matched population comparison subjects. Inpatient discharge diagnoses of neurologic disorders were used to calculate relative risks (RRs) and absolute excess risks (AERs). Results: A neurologic disorder was verified in 1309 survivors, while 92.4 were expected, yielding an overall RR of 14.2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.3-15.1) and an AER of 20 hospitalizations per 1000 persons per year. The risks remained increased more than 20 years after diagnosis (RR: 6.3, 95% CI: 5.6-7.2; AER: 11, 9-12). The most frequent diagnoses were epilepsy (affecting 14.1% of all survivors) followed by hydrocephalus (9.5%) and paralytic syndromes (4.2%), with RRs of 28.7 (95% CI: 26.0-31.6), 243 (95% CI: 190-311), and 40.3 (95% CI: 33.1-49.2), respectively. Of these outcomes, 30%-40% were diagnosed prior to or synchronously with the CNS tumor. The survivors had highly increased RRs for infectious diseases of the CNS, disorders of cranial nerves, and degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Conclusions: Survivors of childhood CNS tumors are at markedly increased risk for neurologic disorders throughout their lives. Health care professionals must be aware of survivors who might benefit from preventive interventions and intensive follow-up

Neurologic disorders in long-term survivors of neuroblastoma - a population-based cohort study within the Adult Life after Childhood Cancer in Scandinavia (ALiCCS) research program.

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowBackground: Neuroblastoma is the commonest extracranial solid tumor of childhood, yet rare, and with poor survival before 1990, especially for high-risk disease; thus, information on late effects is sparse. With great advances in cancer treatment, survival has reached 80% in the Nordic countries. The aim of the study was to investigate the risk of developing neurologic disorders after neuroblastoma. Material and methods: Through population-based cancer registries of four Nordic countries we identified 654 5-year survivors of neuroblastoma (diagnosed 1959-2008) and 133,668 matched population comparisons. We grouped neurologic diagnoses from national hospital registries into 11 main diagnostic categories and 56 disease-specific sub-categories and calculated relative risks (RRs), absolute excess risks (AERs), cumulative incidence and mean cumulative count (MCC). Information on cancer treatment was available for 49% of survivors. Results: A hospital contact for a neurologic disorder was observed in 181 survivors 5 years or more from cancer diagnosis with 59 expected, yielding a RR of 3.1 (95% CI 2.7-3.6) and an AER of 16 per 1,000 person-years (95% CI 12-19). The most frequent disorders included epilepsy, paralytic syndromes, diseases of the eyes and ears and hearing loss. The cumulative incidence of any neurologic disorder was 31% in survivors 20 years after cancer diagnosis with a MCC of 0.5 unique diagnoses. All risks were highest in survivors of high-risk neuroblastoma. Conclusion: Neuroblastoma survivors represent a population with a high risk of developing neurologic disorders. Our results should contribute to improving health care planning and underscores the need for systematic follow-up care of this vulnerable group of survivors.Danish Cancer Society's Scientific Committee Danish Childhood Cancer Foundatio