Objective: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a significant risk factor for the development and severity of bipolar disorder (BD) with increased risk of suicide attempts (SA). This study evaluated whether a machine learning algorithm could be trained to predict if a patient with BD has a history of CM or previous SA based on brain metabolism measured by positron emission tomography. Methods: Thirty-six euthymic patients diagnosed with BD type I, with and without a history of CM were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Suicide attempts were assessed through the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI-Plus) and a semi-structured interview. Resting-state positron emission tomography with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose was conducted, electing only grey matter voxels through the Statistical Parametric Mapping toolbox. Imaging analysis was performed using a supervised machine learning approach following Gaussian Process Classification. Results: Patients were divided into 18 participants with a history of CM and 18 participants without it, along with 18 individuals with previous SA and 18 individuals without such history. The predictions for CM and SA were not significant (accuracy = 41.67%; p = 0.879). Conclusion: Further investigation is needed to improve the accuracy of machine learning, as its predictive qualities could potentially be highly useful in determining histories and possible outcomes of high-risk psychiatric patients.

RESUMO Objetivo: Investigar as propriedades psicométricas da versão curta ou MTA da escala Swanson, Nolan e Pelham, versão IV (SNAP-IV), que mede os sintomas do transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade e transtorno desafiador de oposição. Métodos: Os participantes incluíram 765 pais de crianças de 4 a 16 anos (641 crianças sem transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade e 124 com transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade) de Belo Horizonte, Brasil, que relataram características sociodemográficas e responderam o SNAP-IV. Os pais da amostra clínica também foram submetidos à entrevista com K-SADS-PL. Resultados: A idade foi significativamente associada aos problemas de hiperatividade-impulsividade no SNAP-IV (r = −0,14), mas não à desatenção ou aos transtornos desafiadores de oposição. O sexo foi uma influência significativa na gravidade do transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade e transtorno desafiador de oposição (todos os p < 0,001), os meninos apresentaram escores mais altos na amostra completa, mas não no grupo de transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade. A análise fatorial exploratória e confirmatória apoia uma estrutura de três fatores da escala SNAP-IV. Foram encontradas correlações moderadas a fortes entre as medidas dos instrumentos SNAP-IV e K-SADS-PL. Todas as escalas do SNAP-IV mostraram coeficientes de consistência interna muito altos (todos acima de 0,91). Os escores de desatenção do SNAP-IV foram os mais preditivos do diagnóstico de transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade (AUC - área sob a curva ROC: 0,877 para o método de classificação da média e o método da soma bruta e 0,874 para o método de presença ou ausência de sintomas). Conclusão: A avaliação do SNAP-IV pelos pais apresentou boas propriedades psicométricas em uma escola brasileira e amostra clínica.

ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the psychometric properties of the short or multimodal treatment study version of the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham, Version IV (SNAP-IV) scale, which measures attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms. Methods: Participants were 765 parents of children from 4 to 16 years old (641 non-attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and 124 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder children) from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, who reported sociodemographic characteristics and answered the SNAP-IV. Parents of the clinical sample also underwent the K-SADS-PL interview. Results: Age was significantly associated with SNAP-IV hyperactivity-impulsivity problems (r = −0.14), but not with inattention or oppositional defiant disorder. Sex was a significant influence on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder severity (all p < 0.001), with boys showing higher scores in the full sample, but not within the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder group. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supports a three-factor structure of the SNAP-IV scale. Moderate-to-strong correlations were found between SNAP-IV and K-SADS-PL measures. All SNAP-IV scales showed very high internal consistency coefficients (all above 0.91). SNAP-IV inattention scores were the most predictive of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis (AUC: 0.877 for the averaging rating method and the raw sum method, and 0.874 for the symptom presence/absence method). Conclusion: The parent SNAP-IV showed good psychometric properties in a Brazilian school and clinical sample.

Objective: Cognitive failures are simple mistakes in routine activities, such as forgetting commitments and experiencing difficulty concentrating. The Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) was designed to assess the frequency of these errors in everyday life. Although widely used in psychiatry and psychology, both in clinical and research settings, it has not been adapted for use in Brazil. Our objective was to perform cross-cultural adaptation of the CFQ for the Brazilian reality and assess its validity and reliability. Methods: The original version of the CFQ was translated into Brazilian Portuguese by two independent researchers, analyzed by a multidisciplinary board of experts, and back-translated into English. The final version was administered to 225 adults. Validity was assessed by correlation with the Self Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) and the Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Self-Report Scale (ASRS-18). Reliability was analyzed by calculating internal consistency and test-retest stability. Results: The adapted version of the CFQ showed significant correlations with SRQ-20 (r = -0.311), ASRS-18 inattention (r = 0.696), and hyperactivity/impulsivity (r = 0.405) scores. Reliability analysis suggests high internal consistency (0.906) and temporal stability (0.813). Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the CFQ showed moderate correlations with other measures of mental health, as well as adequate reliability.

Objective: Cognitive impairment is a hallmark of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease dementia (AD). Although the cognitive profile of these patients and its association with activities of daily living (ADLs) is well documented, few studies have assessed deficits in fine motor dexterity and their association with ADL performance. The objective of this research paper is to evaluate fine motor dexterity performance among MCI and AD patients and to investigate its association with different aspects of ADLs. Methods: We assessed normal aging controls, patients with multiple- and single-domain amnestic MCI (aMCI), and patients with mild AD. Fine motor dexterity was measured with the Nine-Hole Peg Test and cognitive functioning by the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale. We analyzed the data using general linear models. Results: Patients with AD or multiple-domain aMCI had slower motor responses when compared to controls. AD patients were slower than those with single-domain aMCI. We found associations between cognition and instrumental ADLs, and between fine motor dexterity and self-care ADLs. Conclusion: We observed progressive slowing of fine motor dexterity along the normal aging-MCI-AD spectrum, which was associated with autonomy in self-care ADLs.

Objective: Fluid intelligence and the behavioral problems of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are related to academic performance, but how this association occurs is unclear. This study aimed to assess mediation and moderation models that test possible pathways of influence between these factors. Methods: Sixty-two children with ADHD and 33 age-matched, typically developing students were evaluated with Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices and the spelling and arithmetic subtests of the Brazilian School Achievement Test. Dimensional ADHD symptomatology was reported by parents. Results: Our findings suggest that fluid intelligence has a significant impact on academic tests through inattention. The inattentive dimension was the principal behavioral source of influence, also accounting for the association of hyperactive-impulsive manifestations with school achievement. This cognitive-to-behavioral influence path seems to be independent of diagnosis related group, and gender, but lower socioeconomic status might increase its strength. Conclusion: Fluid intelligence is a relevant factor in the influence of ADHD behavioral symptoms on academic performance, but its impact is indirect. Therefore, early identification of both fluid intelligence and inattentive symptoms is of the utmost importance to prevent impaired academic performance and future difficulties in functioning.