title: ADHD and epilepsy: contributions from the use of behavioral rating scales to investigate psychiatric comorbidities.
abstract: Children with epilepsy have a high incidence of psychiatric comorbidities, especially attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This observational cross-sectional study investigated the presence of ADHD in 30 children with idiopathic epilepsy. The Brazilian versions of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), the Teacher Report Form (TRF), and the MTA-SNAP-IV questionnaire were used to assess comorbid psychiatric conditions. ADHD diagnosis was confirmed in 53.3% of children. The combined type was the most prevalent (43.7%), followed by the hyperactive-impulsive (37.5%) and inattentive (18.7%) types. Scores above the cutoff point on these scales were strongly correlated with the presence of ADHD. The high prevalence of ADHD in association with other psychiatric comorbidities in children with epilepsy justifies the use of behavioral rating scales as screening tests.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Program in Health Science: Child and Adolescent Health, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (MG), Brazil. karinaloutfi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Karina Soares
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Loutfi
authors.forename: Alysson Massote
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Joel Alves
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Lamounier
authors.forename: Jane de Almeida
authors.initials: Jde A
authors.lastname: Nascimento
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales