Anxiety Disorders in Children - Association With Neurodevelopmental Delay/Disorder

Anxiety Disorders in Children - Association With Neurodevelopmental Delay/Disorder and Temperament/Personality. A Clinical Case-control Study

The main objective of the study is to examine the relationship between anxiety disorders and neurodevelopmental disorder/delay in children aged 7- 13 years.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Anxiety Disorders

Detailed Description

Project summary Anxiety disorders (AD's) in childhood are common and may cause great suffering.Childhood AD's may persist into adulthood and knowledge of important risk factors for development and maintenance of these disorders is essential.The development of AD's is due to a complex interaction between biological and environmental factors.This study will examine the relationship between AD's and two biological risk factors:1.Neurodevelopmental delays/disorders (NDD'S) in motor and cognitive function and 2.Temperament/personality.To date a few studies have consistently found that motor impairment is associated with childhood anxiety and predicts persistent anxiety in adolescence.The association between AD's and NDD's in cognitive functions such as language and attention is far less studied. In contrast, there is a huge research literature on temperament as a risk factor for AD's.The temperamental trait "behavioural inhibition" has been shown to be particularly associated with AD's.However, very few studies have examined the interplay between NDD's, temperament and anxiety.The study is a clinical case-control study of children aged 7-13 years with AD's referred to three different out-patient clinics.The participants will be assessed by diagnostic interviews, neuropsychological tests and temperament/personality instruments.Comparison groups are:1.children with ADHD (to compare AD's with another mental disorder related to NDD's) and 2.Non-referred children without a mental disorder. Follow-up at 6 months,1 and 5 years.A pilot study at two of the three out-patient clinics to be included,showed a sufficient sample size.Anticipated implications of the study include increased knowledge of biological risk factors and of latent neurological brain correlates,as well as treatment implications.Children with NDD's are often met with demands they cannot cope with due to their neurodevelopmental immaturity.To adjust the demands to the child's actual level of functioning is important.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 141

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Oslo, Norway, 0440
    • Lovisenberg Hospital
  • Akershus
    • Lorenskog, Akershus, Norway, 1478
      • Akershus University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 7 years to 13 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Consecutive patient sampling

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of anxiety disorder or ADHD or no diagnosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of PDD
• mental retardation
• children whose both parents do not speak Norwegian

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
ADHD group
Anx group
Nonanx/nonadhd group

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Diagnosis of anxiety disorder	5 years

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Children's global assessment scale (CGAS)	The CGAS represents an assessment of the child's overall severity of disturbance with scores ranging from 1 (lowest functioning) to 100 (excellent functioning)	5 years

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse
• Collaborators: The Hospital for Sick Children; The Research Council of Norway; University Hospital, Akershus; Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hanne Kristensen, Ph.D., Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: September 1, 2007
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 2, 2007
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 2, 2007
• First Posted (Estimate): November 4, 2007

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): June 20, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 19, 2014
• Last Verified: June 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: children; anxiety disorders; temperament; neurodevelopmental disorder; neurodevelopmental delay
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Pathologic Processes; Disease; Anxiety Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1.2006.2943; 181877/V50