Attention deficit disorder with developmental coordination disorders

Abstract

Aims-To analyse the contribution of certain social, familial, prenatal, perinatal, and developmental background factors in the pathogenesis of deficits in attention, motor control, and perception (DAMP). Methods-A population based casecontrol study was carried out with 113 children aged 6 years, 62 diagnosed with DAMP and 51 controls without DAMP. The children's health and medical records were studied and their history with regard to background factors was taken at an interview with the mother using a standardised schedule. Familial factors, possible non-optimal factors during pregnancy (including smoking), developmental factors (including early language development), and medical and psychosocial data were scored in accordance with the reduced optimality method. Results-Low socioeconomic class was common in the group with DAMP. Familial language disorder and familial motor clumsiness were found at higher rates in the DAMP group. Neuropathogenic risk factors in utero were also more common in the children with DAMP. Maternal smoking during pregnancy appeared to be an important risk factor. Language problems were present in two thirds of the children with DAMP. Sleep problems and gastrointestinal disorders, but not atopy or otitis media, were significantly more common in the DAMP group. Conclusions-Prenatal familial and neuropathogenic risk factors contribute to the development of DAMP. Primary prevention, such as improved maternal health care and early detection or treatment, or both, of associated language problems appear to be essential.

Autistic Traits in Children With and Without ADHD

“…[29][30][31][32] Of note, the presence of clumsiness in children with ADHD and ATs may be closely related to the disordered movement kinetics observed in Asperger' s syndrome [33][34][35][36] and what has been previously described in children with the neuropsychological profile of deficits in attention, motor control, and perception. [37][38][39] Also consistent with the extant literature are our findings on the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Epidemiologic Version showing that ADHD + AT children exhibited significantly higher rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders versus ADHD children, especially in the domain of disruptive behavior disorders, which included the diagnoses of conduct and oppositional defiant disorder. 4,6 Also reflecting the impairment observed in children with ASDs 40,41 is the finding that ADHD + CBCL-AT Compared with the ADHD group.…”

Emerging Adulthood and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder

“…At seven years of age, two thirds of children were noted to have language difficulties who had a diagnosis of DAMP (also known as MPD-ADD) (Landgren, Kjellman & Gillberg, 1998). Behavioural and emotional problems were also more common in the MPD-ADD group at ten and 13 years of age.…”

Children with ADHD and motor dysfunction compared with children with ADHD only

“…Gillberg (1998, 1999) reported that 47% of 7-year-old children with motor coordination problems have attention-deficit disorder. Several studies have confirmed the strong relation between motor coordination disorder and ADHD (Senger and Hallum 1974;Lerer 1976, Lerer et al 1977;Gillberg and Rasmussen 1982a,b;Gillberg et al 1983Gillberg et al , 1997Hellgren et al 1993;Blondis 1995Blondis , 1999Blondis , 2000Landgren et al 1998Landgren et al , 2000Piek et al 1999;Christiansen 2000;Rasmussen and Gillberg 2000).…”

“…The DAMP construct refers to children who have pronounced attention deficits but not necessarily amounting to full-blown ADHD with severe hyperactivity and clumsiness (Landgren et al 1998). Many children with DAMP meet the full criteria for ADHD but others are better described by the 'ADHD minus' prototype (Kadesjo and Gillberg 1998).…”