Genetics Largely Underlies Intelligence to School Acheivement Link

While the genetic influence on intelligence has been well studied, less is known about school achievement and the genetic/environmental links between intelligence and school achievement. Previous work has also struggled with potential measurement and sampling bias.  This study used national data from large Dutch and English samples to address some of these concerns. The total […]

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Autism Assessment Clinic Has Openings for Vermont Medicaid Families

by Jeremiah Dickerson, MD Director, VCCYF Autism Assessment Clinic As you may know, the Vermont Center for Children, Youth, & Families, in partnership with the State of Vermont, has established an Autism Assessment Clinic to serve the needs of Medicaid supported children and families throughout Vermont.  Over the past two years, we have worked hard […]

Study Documents Previously Autistic Individuals Who No Longer Show Impairment

Autism is generally considered to be a lifelong condition.  While treatment can certainly be effective, the goal is often described more in terms of symptom reduction rather than a true recovery (in which no criteria of the disorder are met).  A small but intriguing study by Fein and colleagues, however attempts to document  a group […]

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Stimulants for Cognitive Enhancement – Social Justice or Cosmetic Psychopharmacology?

A thought provoking article in the NY times raises questions about the practice of giving stimulant medications to children who don’t meet criteria for ADHD but who nonetheless might benefit from their effects.   While the issue of stimulants being taken by competitive students trying to gain an edge in college has been well documented, this […]

ADHD Treatment Linked to Reduced Criminal Acts

by John Koutas, MD The beneficial short-term effects of ADHD medication on symptoms of ADHD and associated problems have been demonstrated in numerous studies.  Although ADHD symptoms often persist from childhood into adulthood, discontinuation of ADHD medication is common, especially in adolescence and early adulthood.  In the present study, the authors used Swedish population-based data […]

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Living in a World of Cyber-Everything

(Editor note:  I am pleased to post a new entry by one of our first year child psychiatry fellows – Feyza Basoglu, MD.  After all the new electronics many families received for the holidays, it gives us something to ponder – DR). “Addiction” has long been used as a term for only chemical dependence but […]