Author/Authors :
Beckhauser, Mayara Thays Department of Neurology - Hospital Santa Isabel - Blumenau - Santa Catarina, Brazil , Beghini Mendes Vieira, Marcella Department of Biology - Health and Social Sciences - Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) - Tubarão - Santa Catarina, Brazil , MoehleckeIser, Betine Department of Biology - Health and Social Sciences - Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) - Tubarão - Santa Catarina, Brazil , Rozone de Luca, Gisele Department of Biology - Health and Social Sciences - Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (UNISUL) - Tubarão - Santa Catarina, Brazil , Rodrigues Masruha, Marcelo Department of Pediatric Neurology - Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) - São Paulo - São Paulo , Brazil , Lin, Jaime Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências da Saúde (PPGCS) - Laboratório de Pesquisa de Doenças Neurometabólicas - Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC) - Criciúma - Santa Catarina - Brazil , Luiz Streck, Emilio Programa de Pós Graduação em Ciências da Saúde (PPGCS) - Laboratório de Pesquisa de Doenças Neurometabólicas - Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense (UNESC) - Criciúma - Santa Catarina - Brazil
Abstract :
Objectives To assess the presence of symptoms consistent with
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) in all patients
with early-treated phenylketonuria (PKU) in the State of Santa
Catarina in southern Brazil.
Materials & Methods
All of the patients diagnosed with PKU by newborn-screening tests,
with ages varying from 6 to 18 years and who started treatment before
60 days of life and presented phenylalanine levels consistently below
6 mg/dL throughout treatment, were included. The subjects were
invited to complete a questionnaire that collected sociodemographic,
gestational and clinical data. ADHD symptoms were assessed using
the revision of the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Questionnaire.
Results
A total of 34 patients were evaluated, who were 53% male and 94%
white and had an average age of 12 years, and 15% were born premature.
According to the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Questionnaire, 13 patients
(38%) met the diagnostic criteria for ADHD, with 2 patients having the
inattentive type, 6 patients having the hyperactive or impulsive type
and 1 patient having the oppositional defiant disorder type.
Conclusion
Although the patients with PKU were regularly treated from birth,
there was a high prevalence of symptoms consistent with ADHD. A
pathophysiological interface that involves the dopamine metabolic
pathway may exist between the two conditions.
