title: Impact of co-morbid attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder on cognitive function in male children with Tourette syndrome: A controlled study.
abstract: Tourette syndrome (TS) and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are co-morbid neurodevelopmental conditions affecting more commonly male patients. We set out to determine the impact of co-morbid ADHD on cognitive function in male children with TS by conducting a controlled study. Participants included four matched groups of unmedicated children (age range 6-15 years): TS (n=13), TS+ADHD (n=8), ADHD (n=39), healthy controls (n=66). Following clinical assessment, each participant completed a battery of tests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III, the Italian Battery for ADHD, the Tower of London test, the Corsi test, and the Digit Span test. All patient groups reported significantly lower scores than healthy controls across the neuropsychological tests involving executive functions. The TS+ADHD group was the most severely affected, followed by the ADHD group and the TS group, particularly in the tests assessing planning ability, inhibitory function, working memory and visual attention, but not auditory attention. Problems in executive functions are more common in patients with neurodevelopmental disorders than controls. Deficits in planning ability, inhibitory function, working memory and visual attention reported by children with TS appear to be more strongly related to the presence of co-morbid ADHD symptoms than core TS symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy; Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Ospedale di Circolo & Macchi Foundation, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristiano
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Termine
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luoni
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fontolan
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Selvini
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Livia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Perego
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Ospedale di Circolo & Macchi Foundation, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pavone
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Ospedale di Circolo & Macchi Foundation, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS "C. Mondino" Foundation, University of Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Balottin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, BSMHFT and University of Birmingham, United Kingdom; School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom; Sobell Department of Motor Neuroscience and Movement Disorders, UCL and Institute of Neurology, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: a.cavanna@ion.ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrea E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Cavanna
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests / Q000592:standards; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000592:standards; D005879:Tourette Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Attention-deficit and hyperactivity syndrome; Cognition; Executive functions; Tics; Tourette syndrome