Prevalence of ADHD in children with velocardiofacial syndrome: a preliminary report

Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS) is a relatively common multi-anomaly disorder associated with a deletion on chromosome 22. Patients with VCFS have cardiac anomalies, cleft palate, learning problems, and speech and developmental delays. Previous studies found that mood and psychotic illnesses were the most common psychiatric disorders in patients with VCFS. The few studies that have focused solely on children with VCFS, however, have found an increased prevalence of attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper reports on a clinical evaluation and a structured interview that were administered to 52 children with VCFS and their parents. The prevalence of ADHD in this sample was approximately 10 times that in the general population. Awareness of the possibility of increased prevalence of ADHD in VCFS, particularly of the inattentive type, is important because it is likely to be overlooked by parents and clinicians. Intervention with these children may halt the progression of psychiatric illness and improve outcome.