[Follow-up of hyperkinetic syndrome in clinical and field samples]

Retrospective studies and short prospective studies in clinical samples are rarely helpful in elucidating the course of hyperkinetic syndromes. So far prospective longitudinal data have been published only on client populations. The results of such studies are summarized. They are compared with the data on a field sample (n = 399) followed from age 8 until 18. Initially 4.2% of the children had hyperkinetic syndrome. Over the 10-year period the symptoms of the syndrome decreased. In 40% of the cases the syndrome persisted, but with a general shift in the symptoms profiles toward antisocial behavior. Beyond this, the study showed that the symptoms temper tantrums, distractability and hyperkinesis are very important in connection with psychiatric morbidity in children and adolescents. There is a need for further analysis of such symptoms in the context of other symptoms of psychiatric disorder in youngsters not diagnosed as having hyperkinetic syndrome.