title: Elevated rates of ADHD in mothers of children with comorbid ADHD and epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of ADHD in mothers of children with comorbid ADHD and epilepsy (ADHD+E) and to compare ADHD symptoms in mothers with (Fam(+)) and without (Fam(-)) additional relative(s) with epilepsy.  PATIENTS & METHODS: Mothers (n = 16) of children with ADHD+E were assessed by the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Age Children ADHD module and the ADHD Rating Scale IV. Information was collected on the presence (Fam(+)) or absence (Fam(-)) of first- or second-degree relatives with epilepsy in the sample.  RESULTS: A total of 50% of mothers met the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD. ADHD was more prevalent in Fam(+) mothers (80%) compared with Fam(-) mothers (36%; p = 0.14). Fam(+) mothers had more current hyperactivity symptoms than Fam(-) mothers (p = 0.002), higher current ADHD severity (p = 0.02) and higher ADHD Rating Scale IV hyperactivity scores (p = 0.008).  CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ADHD in mothers of children with ADHD+E is elevated in this pilot study, suggesting that ADHD symptoms in children with epilepsy and their mothers reflects shared familial genetic or environmental risks, potentially resulting in a higher prevalence of both disorders among family members. This is a pilot study and larger controlled studies are warranted.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Gonzalez-Heydrich
authors: Hesham M
authors: HM
authors: Hamoda
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Luna
authors: Sneha
authors: S
authors: Rao
authors: James
authors: J
authors: McClendon
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Rotella
authors: Deborah
authors: D
authors: Waber
authors: Katherine
authors: K
authors: Boyer
authors: Steven V
authors: SV
authors: Faraone
authors: Jane
authors: J
authors: Whitney
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Guild
authors: Joseph
authors: J
authors: Biederman
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