Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · May 1993
Treatment of aggressive children with clonidine: results of an open pilot study.
Seventeen aggressive children (14 boys and 3 girls) aged 5 to 15 years, who were characterized by cruel behavior to others and destruction of property, entered an open pilot study using clonidine to evaluate its efficacy and safety and drug-induced changes in plasma gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA). Aggression decreased in 15 children with minimal side effects. ⋯ These findings suggest that GABA may be correlated with childhood aggressiveness and may be a useful marker of drug compliance. Pharmacotherapy with clonidine should be further assessed for the control of aggression.
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · Jul 1992
Acetaminophen overdose as a suicidal gesture: a survey of adolescents' knowledge of its potential for toxicity.
Acetaminophen is a popular nonprescription analgesic that is often taken in overdose by adolescents during suicidal gestures. The authors hypothesized that most adolescents are naive about the toxic and lethal potential of acetaminophen in overdose. ⋯ Moreover, 17% of the sample did not believe one could ingest enough acetaminophen to cause death. The lack of knowledge about acetaminophen's potential dangerousness, its widespread availability, and an absence of early symptoms of hepatotoxicity make this medication highly dangerous to those adolescents who take it in overdose during parasuicidal behavior.
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · Mar 1992
Specificity of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity to the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were compared with non-ADHD psychiatric patients and normal controls on objective measures of inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity to determine the specificity of these symptoms to ADHD. Inattention and impulsivity were assessed using a continuous performance test, and activity was measured using solid state actigraphs. ⋯ These data suggest that inattention may be a nonspecific symptom of child psychiatric disorder. However, ADHD may be uniquely characterized by overactivity.
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J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry · Nov 1991
Parental distress and social interaction in families with children with inflammatory bowel disease.
Twenty families who had children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 20 comparison families with healthy children were studied concerning parental distress and social interaction. The mothers in the IBD group scored very high on parental distress, whereas the fathers did not differ from the comparison group. ⋯ The dimension of social integration was normal, but deeper relations and attachment were negatively affected among parents in the IBD group. The mental health of the children with IBD correlated with the social support, especially the qualitative aspects.