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Thornton KE, Wiggs KK, Epstein JN, Tamm L, Becker SP. ADHD and cognitive disengagement syndrome symptoms related to self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in early adolescents. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024:10.1007/s00787-024-02556-x. [PMID: 39235462 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-024-02556-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 08/05/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
The current study examined attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) dimensions and cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) symptoms in relation to self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in an early adolescent sample. Participants were 341 adolescents ages 10-12 years (52.2% female; 37.8% people of color) recruited from the community. Caregivers reported on CDS and ADHD symptoms. Adolescents completed a rating scale and were administered an interview assessing SITBs. We estimated associations using logistic regression in a stepped fashion: (1) no adjustment, (2) adjustment for sex, race, family income, and psychotropic medication use, and (3) further adjustment for depressive symptoms. In this early adolescent community sample, 22.9% reported a history of suicidal ideation, 8.2% reported a history of a suicide plan, 6.2% reported a history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and 16.4% met a clinical cutoff for current suicide risk. Across most analyses using rating scale or interview methods, higher mean CDS scores were related to endorsement of suicidal ideation and planning. ADHD inattentive (IN) and hyperactive-impulsive (HI) symptoms were associated with endorsement of NSSI, and ADHD-IN symptoms were associated with thoughts of suicide and/or plan measured via questionnaire, though effects were less robust and not significant, potentially due to low base rates impacting statistical power. This study adds to a growing body of research highlighting the importance of screening for CDS symptoms among individuals with and without ADHD. More research, especially longitudinal work, is needed that examines possible differential pathways to SITBs by ADHD and CDS symptoms to advance SITB prevention, early detection, and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keely E Thornton
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
| | - Kelsey K Wiggs
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
| | - Jeffery N Epstein
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Leanne Tamm
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Stephen P Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, 45229-3039, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
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Fredrick JW, Jacobson LA, Peterson RK, Becker SP. Cognitive disengagement syndrome (sluggish cognitive tempo) and medical conditions: a systematic review and call for future research. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:783-817. [PMID: 37712631 PMCID: PMC10940202 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2256052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS, previously referred to as sluggish cognitive tempo) is a unique set of symptoms distinct from ADHD inattentive symptoms that appear to be independently associated with neuropsychological and psychosocial outcomes in community and ADHD-specific samples of youth. However, our understanding of CDS in individuals with chronic or complex medical conditions is limited. The current systematic review is the first to summarize the literature on CDS prevalence rates and associations with neurocognitive and functional outcomes in youth with medical conditions, and to discuss areas of future research to guide clinical intervention. We conducted literature searches across four major databases and included studies assessing prevalence estimates, associations with neuropsychological and/or psychosocial functioning, or predictors of CDS in individuals with chronic or complex medical conditions. Twenty-five studies were identified and retained. Fifteen of sixteen studies reported elevations in CDS symptoms, though findings were mixed in studies comparing mean differences to typically developing youth. Seven studies provided inconsistent evidence for CDS being associated with neuropsychological or academic functioning, with six studies demonstrating consistent effects on psychosocial functioning. Finally, nine studies identified biological and sociodemographic factors associated with CDS, though almost all await replication. CDS symptoms are significantly elevated in youth with medical conditions and appear to be particularly linked with psychosocial functioning. Future research is needed to identify prevalence of CDS across a range of medical conditions, examine associations with neuropsychological and psychosocial functioning, and examine whether CDS impacts self-management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Fredrick
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa A. Jacobson
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute; Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Rachel K. Peterson
- Department of Neuropsychology, Kennedy Krieger Institute; Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Stephen P. Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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3
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Becker SP, Martinez AC, Wiggs KK, Langberg JM, Smith ZR. Multi-method examination of cognitive disengagement syndrome and ADHD inattentive symptoms in relation to early adolescents' academic functioning. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:2189-2201. [PMID: 37804421 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02311-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/09/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), previously referred to as sluggish cognitive tempo, is a set of symptoms characterized by excessive daydreaming, mental fogginess, and slowed behavior/thinking. Studies examining the association between CDS and academic functioning have reported mixed findings and have relied upon limited measures of CDS, broad ratings of academic impairment, and/or focused only on elementary-aged children. The current study examined the relationship between CDS and academic functioning in adolescents using a comprehensive, multi-informant, multi-method design. Participants were 302 adolescents (Mage = 13.17 years; 44.7% female; 81.8% White; 52% with ADHD) recruited in the fall of their 8th grade. Above and beyond ADHD inattentive symptoms, CDS symptoms were related to poorer homework performance, lower math fluency, and lower daily academic motivation across multiple informants, and teacher-reported CDS symptoms were related to lower grades. Findings were not moderated by ADHD diagnosis, suggesting that associations between CDS and academic outcomes do not differ for adolescents with and without ADHD. Findings demonstrate that CDS symptoms are uniquely associated with daily academic difficulties as well as global indices of academic performance. These findings have implications for assessing and monitoring CDS symptoms in interventions aiming to improve the academic functioning in adolescents with and without ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
| | - Andrew C Martinez
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kelsey K Wiggs
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 10006, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joshua M Langberg
- Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Zoe R Smith
- Department of Psychology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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Wiggs KK, Cook TE, Lodhawala I, Cleary EN, Yolton K, Becker SP. Setting a research agenda for examining early risk for elevated cognitive disengagement syndrome symptoms using data from the ABCD cohort. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-4468007. [PMID: 38947040 PMCID: PMC11213211 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4468007/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Background Little research has examined early life risk for symptoms of cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) despite a well-established literature regarding co-occurring outcomes (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). The current study estimated bivariate associations between early life risk factors and CDS in a large and representative sample of U.S. children. Methods We conducted secondary analyses of baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N = 8,096 children, 9-10 years old). Birthing parents reported early life risk factors on a developmental history questionnaire, including parental, prenatal, delivery and birth, and developmental milestone information. They also completed the Child Behavior Checklist, which includes a CDS subscale that was dichotomized to estimate the odds of elevated CDS symptoms (i.e., T-score > 70) in children related to risk indices. Results We observed significantly elevated odds of CDS related to parental risk factors (i.e., unplanned pregnancy, pregnancy awareness after 6 weeks, teenage parenthood), birthing parent illnesses in pregnancy (i.e., severe nausea, proteinuria, pre-eclampsia/toxemia, severe anemia, urinary tract infection), pregnancy complications (i.e., bleeding), prenatal substance exposures (i.e., prescription medication, tobacco, illicit drugs), delivery and birth risk factors (i.e., child blue at delivery, child not breathing, jaundice, incubation after delivery), and late motor and speech milestones in children. Conclusions Several early-life risk factors were associated with elevated odds of CDS at ages 9-10 years; study design prevents the determination of causality. Further investigation is warranted regarding early life origins of CDS with priority given to risk indices that have upstream commonalities (i.e., that restrict fetal growth, nutrients, and oxygen).
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Burns GL, Montaño JJ, Becker SP, Servera M. Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome Symptoms from Early Childhood to Adolescence in a Nationally Representative Spanish Sample. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2023:1-15. [PMID: 37931059 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2023.2272944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The identification of a common set of symptoms for assessing cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS, formerly sluggish cognitive tempo) for early childhood (ages 5-8), middle childhood (ages 9-12), and adolescence (ages 13-16) is needed to advance research on the developmental psychopathology of CDS (i.e. a common symptom set with comparable internal and external validity for each age group). METHOD Parents of a nationally representative sample of 5,525 Spanish children and adolescents (ages 5 to 16, 56.1% boys) completed measures of CDS, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattention (ADHD-IN), and other measures. RESULTS First, the 15 CDS symptoms showed convergent and discriminant validity relative to the ADHD-IN symptoms within each age group. Second, CDS showed stronger first-order and unique associations than ADHD-IN with anxiety, depression, somatization, daytime sleep-related impairment, and nighttime sleep disturbance, whereas ADHD-IN showed stronger first-order and unique associations than CDS with ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional defiant disorder, and academic impairment. Third, CDS showed stronger first-order and unique associations than ADHD-IN with a history of having an anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder diagnosis, whereas ADHD-IN showed stronger first-order and unique associations with having an ADHD diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS The identification of a common set of CDS symptoms spanning early childhood to adolescence allows for the advancement of research on CDS, with a particular need now for longitudinal studies and examination of CDS with other functional outcomes and across other cultural contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan José Montaño
- Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands & Health Research Institute of the Balearic Islands
| | - Stephen P Becker
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Mateu Servera
- Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands & Research Institute on Health Sciences
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Scaini S, Medda E, Battaglia M, De Giuli G, Stazi MA, D'Ippolito C, Fagnani C. A Twin Study of the Relationships between Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome and Anxiety Phenotypes in Childhood and Adolescence. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:949-960. [PMID: 36786891 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Data on the etiological factors underlying the co-occurrence of Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS) with anxiety symptoms are very limited. The present study investigated the nature of latent shared etiological elements in 400 Italian twin pairs aged 8-18, explaining the covariation between CDS and anxiety symptoms. Preliminary analysis demonstrated significant correlations between Child Behaviour Checklist/6-18 Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Scale and two (Somatic Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety) out of five Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders anxiety subscales. Results from causal analysis seem to exclude the hypothesis that co-occurrence between CDS and Anxiety Symptoms could be due to a direct phenotypic effect of one trait upon the other. Model fitting-analysis indicated that the aforementioned associations were partially explained by shared genetic and environmental factors influencing a common liability factor. A latent variable capturing the covariation between CDS and anxiety problems can be considered as a unifying (patho)physiological mechanism/system common to these constructs. Our results support the adoption of a broader view of the relationships between CDS and anxiety phenotypes in childhood and adolescence for both clinicians and educators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Scaini
- Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University, Ripa Di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143, Milan, Italy.
| | - Emanuela Medda
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Battaglia
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth Depression, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Gaia De Giuli
- Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University, Ripa Di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria Antonietta Stazi
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina D'Ippolito
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Corrado Fagnani
- Centre for Behavioural Sciences and Mental Health, Istituto Superiore Di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Chrysosferidis JR, Burns GL, Becker SP, Beauchaine TP, Servera M. Oppositional Defiant Disorder in the DSM-5: Does the Limited Prosocial Emotions Specifier Portend a More Severe Clinical Presentation? Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1037-1050. [PMID: 36947316 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated whether oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) with the DSM-5 limited prosocial emotions (LPE) specifier marks a more severe clinical presentation than ODD alone. Mothers, fathers, and teachers of 2,142 Spanish children (49.49% girls; ages 8 to 13 years) completed measures of ODD, LPE, ADHD-hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI), ADHD-inattention (IN), cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS), anxiety, depression, social impairment, academic impairment, and peer rejection (teacher only measure). Scores greater or less than 1.50 SDs above the ODD and LPE means were used to create ODD-only (5.89-7.22% of the sample, depending on informant), LPE-only (7.61-8.25%), ODD + LPE (1.69-2.20%), and comparison groups (82.96-84.68%) for each source. For all three sources, the LPE-only group scored higher than the comparison group on social impairment, peer rejection, and academic impairment but did not differ significantly on anxiety. Although the ODD-only and ODD + LPE groups scored higher than the LPE-only group on all symptom and most impairment dimensions, the ODD + LPE group did not show a consistent pattern of higher scores than the ODD-only group. There were no differences on mother ratings, and higher scores for the ODD + LPE group emerged on only three of seven father-report measures (depression, CDS, and ADHD-IN) and three of eight teacher-report measures (peer rejection, social impairment, and academic impairment). Limited differences between the ODD + LPE and ODD-only groups raise questions about the usefulness of LPE as a severity specifier for ODD among children. Future studies need to address this issue with adolescents and clinical samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - G Leonard Burns
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4820, USA.
| | - Stephen P Becker
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | | | - Mateu Servera
- Research Institute on Health Sciences, University of the Balearic Islands, 07122, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
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Fredrick JW, Becker SP. Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome) and Academic Functioning: A Systematic Review and Agenda for Future Research. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:82-120. [PMID: 36117226 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00411-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed substantial interest in sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT), a set of symptoms (e.g., excessive daydreaming, mental confusion, slowed behavior) distinct from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other psychopathology symptoms. Despite evidence linking SCT to a range of functional outcomes, findings for academic functioning are unclear. The current review summarizes the literature on SCT and academic functioning and offers an agenda for future research. A systematic review was conducted to identify studies assessing SCT and academic outcomes, including academic impairments and performance, in childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Sixty studies were retained (53 cross-sectional, 7 longitudinal) from 44 separate samples, with the majority (n = 32, 53%) assessing global ratings of academic impairment and fewer measuring specific academic domains or standardized achievement test scores. Findings were generally consistent in showing SCT to be correlated with global ratings of academic impairment, lower grades, and inconsistently associated with poorer math and reading scores. Findings were more mixed when controlling for ADHD symptoms, intelligence, and/or demographic factors. Overall, SCT is associated with poorer academic functioning, although inconsistencies and key limitations are common across studies. Ten directions for future research are offered to advance understanding of how SCT may be associated with or impact academic functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W Fredrick
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
| | - Stephen P Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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