Risk of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Executive Function Impairment in...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neurosurgery
• Developmental Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Metopic synostosis, a premature fusion of the frontal skull bone, has potential links to behavioral impairments that require further investigation.
• Understanding these behavioral outcomes is crucial for academic and interpersonal success in affected children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate behavioral dysfunction in school-aged children who underwent surgical correction for metopic synostosis.
• To identify common behavioral abnormalities and their predictors in this population.

Main Methods:

• Utilized parent-completed rating scales: Conners-3 (ADHD), SRS-2 (ASD), BRIEF-2 (executive function), and CBCL (behavioral/emotional functioning).
• Included neurocognitive testing for children.
• Employed multivariable regression to identify predictors of significant behavioral impairments.

Main Results:

• Nearly 50% of 60 children exhibited borderline clinical symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Increased age at surgical correction was linked to worse executive function.
• Specific subscales of the Conners-3 and BRIEF-2 demonstrated significant associations with age at surgery.

Conclusions:

• Surgically corrected metopic synostosis is associated with a notable prevalence of ADHD symptoms.
• Delayed surgical intervention may negatively impact executive function development.
• Early surgical correction of metopic synostosis may be beneficial for long-term behavioral and emotional health.