Bipolar disorder (BD) is a prevalent, often severe, and disabling illness that affects about 1-5% of the general population and has the highest risk of suicide among psychiatric disorders. Impulsivity and, emotion dysregulation have been emphasized due to their role in facilitating suicide acts among those with suicide ideation.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and suicidality in patients with bipolar disorder by comparing bipolar patients with healthy individuals

The study included 85 patients (59 women, 26 men) with bipolar disorder and education and age-matched 65 (44 women, 21 men) healthy volunteers. The patient group was divided into 3 subgroups according to have suicide attempt history, have suicide ideation without attempt, and have neither suicide attempt nor ideation. Sociodemographic Form, The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11), Scale for Suicide Ideation, Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire scales were applied to the participants.

Patients with bipolar disorder had significantly higher scores for emotion dysregulation and impulsivity than the healthy control group. A statistically significant correlation was found between emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, suicide ideation, and suicide behavior scores. DERS Total and Barratt Total scores were found higher for bipolar patients with suicide attempts than bipolar patients with suicide ideation and bipolar patients with neither attempt nor ideation. The hierarchical regression analysis has indicated that strategies, clarity, and non-planing impulsiveness were the predictors of suicide ideation in bipolar patients.

The results suggested a strong association between emotional dysregulation, impulsivity with suicide ideation, and behavior in patients with bipolar disorder.

No significant relationships.

The corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 2 (CRHR2) gene encodes CRHR2, which is an important element in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal physiologic response towards stress culminating in hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, mood disorders and depression (MDD). CRHR2-/- mice are hypersensitive to stress, and the CRHR2 locus in humans has been linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) and MDD.

Several variants in the CRHR2 gene have been reported in patients with bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and T2D, but variants in the gene have not been investigated in families with T2D and MDD.

We genotyped 212 Italian families with T2D and MDD. We tested 17 SNPs in the CRHR2 gene using two-point parametric-linkage and linkage-disequilibrium (LD) analysis with the following models: dominant with complete-penetrance (D1), dominant with incomplete-penetrance (D2), recessive with complete-penetrance (R1) and recessive with incomplete-penetrance (R2).

We detected linkage to and/or LD with: MDD for 3 SNPs/D1, 2 SNPs/D2, 3 SNPs/R1, and 3 SNPs/R2; and, T2D for 3 SNPs/D1, 2 SNPs/D2, 2 SNPs/R1 and 1 SNP/R2. Two independent SNPs were comorbid. Interestingly, the variants linked to or in LD with MDD had in general higher statistical significance level than the variants linked to T2D, despite that the families were primarily ascertained for T2D.

Our study shows for the first time that the CRHR2 gene which encodes CRHR2 is in linkage to and linkage disequilibrium with MDD and T2D, thereby contributing, in families with T2D, to both disorders and underlying the shared genetic pathogenesis of their comorbidity

No significant relationships.

Obsessive phenomena, when present, are usually seen in the depressive phase of bipolar disorder.

The peculiar case with aggravation in ruminative and obsessive thinking with simultaneous hypomania may widen our understanding of the phenomenology of antidepressant induced hypomanic symptoms.

We present a case of ruminative hypomania induced by high dose venlafaxine. Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) and Yale Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS) were used for symptom ratings.

The patient was 30 years old and she had treatment history of depression for 3 months. She had two consecutive suicide attempts with drugs in the week before she was hospitalized for suicidal risk. She was using venlafaxine 300 mg/day and olanzapin 2,5 mg/day; continuous ruminative thinking about the past and imaginary sexual affairs with former friends were apparent with an unremitting pattern, leading to intense psychomotor agitation and suicide attempts. Irritable mood, and increased energy was observed with continuous ruminations. She was diagnosed with bipolar-II-disorder, with mixed features and anxious distress (YMRS:17, HAM-D:22, YBOCS:34). After discontinuing venlafaxine and starting anti-manic treatment with haloperidol 10 mg/day in the first week, both affective symptoms and ruminations were improved (YMRS:2, HAM-D:4, YBOCS:8). Aripiprazol 20 mg/day and quetiapine 100 mg/day which were given for continuation treatment were also effective for preserving full remission.

When prescribing high dose venlafaxine for treatment resistant depression, it should be remembered that this may induce hypomanic symptoms and prominent ruminative thinking which can be ameliorated with anti-manic treatment.

No significant relationships.

Bipolar disorder is a frequent and particularly severe psychiatric pathology that causes significant morbidity and mortality. The rapid cycling forms are more severe in terms of their expression, evolutionary course, therapeutic responses and associated comorbidities.

The aim of this study is to conduct a descriptive assessment of therapeutic characteristics in patients with rapid cycling bipolar disorder.

Our work involved a population of 97 patients followed for bipolar disorder diagnosed according to DSM5 criteria, including 37 patients meeting the specification “with rapid cycles”. The patients were divided into two groups: - Group of patients with bipolar disorder with rapid cycles (TBCR) - Group of patients with bipolar disorder without rapid cycling (TBNCR). We compared the therapeutic features among these two groups.

The dominant polarity was depressive in patients with rapid cycles. They required more mood stabilizers. A greater proportion of them had received treatment with serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants. They were more likely to use hypnotics such as antihistamines and zolpidem.

Rapid cycling TB is a relatively common clinical modality that should be investigated and identified.The use of antidepressants is associated with this course of the disease. Their utilization in the treatment of bipolar depression must be thoughtful and well studied

No significant relationships.

Mixed states in mood disorders present significant clinical and prognostic challenges. Although the DSM-5 has broadened diagnostic criteria for mixed states with the development of the ‘mixed features’ specifier and its application to unipolar depressive disorders, some mixed episodes might still be overlooked.

to evaluate the frequency and the factors associated with mixed depression according to the broader Koukopoulos criteria in a sample of patients with a major depressive episode

We included 99 consecutive patients presenting for a major depressive episode of bipolar (n=10) or unipolar major depressive (n=89) disorder at our outpatient clinic. Major depression was ascertained using SCID- IV criteria, and mixed features were determined using Koukopoulos’ diagnostic criteria

Mean age of the sample was 35.5 years [14-58]. Women accounted for 63.6% of patients. Mixed features were found in 19.5% (n=19) of the sample, 80% (n=8) among patients with bipolar disorders (BD) and 12.3% (n=11) among those with major depressive disorder (MDD). Individuals with mixed features had more substance abuse (p=0.005) and more suicide attempts (p=0.01). Individuals receiving antipsychotics had a lower risk of mixed features (p=0.000) while antidepressant treatment did not have any affect. A family history of BD, psychosis, suicide and substance abuse were found in these patients. Mixed features in depression were more frequent in patients with BD than in MDD.

Our study showed a high frequency of mixed features in depression, especially bipolar depression when Koukopoulos criteria are applied. Special attention should be given to these patients given the association with substance use and suicidality

No significant relationships.

Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT) to measure retinal thickness is the current method to observe neurological impairment in neurodegenerative diseases [1] and in mental disorders [2] due to the composition of the retina itself as an anatomic extension of the brain.There can be found some factors to improve the resilience like the years of study.

Our aim is to evaluate cognitive and clinical impairment in Bipolar Disorder and see the correlation to the retinal thinning.

Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder were assessed in the context of the FINEXT programme (3). Selective attention, executive functions and verbal memory were measured among other variables. Using the OCT technique, we measured the thickness of the ppRNFL, the RFNL, GCL and IPL layers in the macula in both eyes through several radial segments. Partial correlations were performed with Bonferroni correction (p≤0.006) adjusted for age and academic status except for the variable years of study which was adjusted for age.

Significant direct correlations were observed between: - The study-years and the thickness of the retina in the NO and RFNL. -Selective attention and GCL and RFNL layers. -Executive function and the GCL and IPL.

We can observe some preliminar results showing a significant correlation between some layers of the retina, upper segments more frequently, and the outcomes of the neurocognitive assessment. We can see a relationship as well between years of study and the thickness of the Retinal Nerve Fibre Layer in the retina and optic nerve head, the axons of the neurons in the eye.

No significant relationships.

Bipolar disorder is a multifactorial disorder influenced by multiple genetic and environmental factors.There is limited understanding of how non-genetic factors may impact the age of onset of bipolar disorder

To study the age of onset of bipolar disease in Tunisia (where the average duration of sunshine is 8 hours/day) and compare it to the age of onset in countries with a lower duration of sunshine (Germany 0.17h/day; Norway 1.40h/day).

We conducted a retrospective study of 100 patients with bipolar disorder type I followed at the psychiatric department Aziza Othmana at Razi hospital.The data collection was done using a pre-established paper form exploring sociodemographic and clinical data.The duration of sunshine was estimated according to the average number of hours of sunshine per day in each country collected through meteorological sites.

Our population was predominantly male (60%) with a mean age of 48.7 years.The first episode was manic in 76% of cases. The mean age of onset in our sample was 25.86 years, with extremes ranging from 13 to 49 years.An early onset (threshold age=21 years) was found in 36% of the Tunisian population. The age of onset was earlier in patients with a family history of bipolar disorder: 22.76 years vs 28.23 years. A late onset (threshold age=37 years) was found in 13% of the Tunisian population.

The study confirmed that there is an inverse relationship between the degree of sunlight and the age of onset of the disease, especially in the presence of a family history of mood disorders

No significant relationships.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental illness marked by extreme swings in the mood, energy, and thinking. Although it’s not an official symptom of the disease, some research suggests that it also may affect the empathy.

To investigate empathic responding in patients with BD in euthymic state of illness and to determine associated factors.

A cross-sectional and descriptive study of 78 patients followed for bipolar disorder, during euthymia, at the psychiatric outpatient clinic at CHU Hédi Chaker in Sfax. We used a socio-demographic and clinical data sheet and the Questionnaire of Cognitive And Affective Empathy (QCAE) to assess empathy with its two dimensions : “Affective empathy” and “Cognitive empathy”.

The average age was 36.27 years, the sex ratio was 5.5. Bipolar I disorder was diagnosed in 88.5% of patients. The mean age of onset was 27.73 years, and the mean duration of illness was 8.4 years. 78.2% of patients had a good adherence to treatment. 60.3% of them had residual depressive symptoms during eutymia. QCAE total score was 72.49. (Maximum possible score 124) Cognitive empathy score was 43.21. (Maximum possible score 76) Affective empathy score was 29.36. (Maximum possible score 48) Affective empathy was associated with female gender (p=0), good adherence to treatment (p=0.01) and residual depressive symptoms (p=0.001).

Our study shows that bipolar patients have fairly good levels of empathy. However, in order to better substantiate empathy in BD, comparative studies seem necessary.

No significant relationships.

Numerous studies have documented high rates of functional impairment among bipolar disorder patients, even during phases of euthymia.

To study different domains of functioning impairment in bipolar patients during euthymic phase.

A cross-sectional and descriptive study of 78 patients followed for bipolar disorder, during euthymia, at the psychiatric outpatient clinic at CHU Hédi Chaker in Sfax. We used a socio-demographic and clinical data sheet and the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) to assess functionning : A functional impairment was retained for a total FAST score > 11.

The average age was 36.27 years, the sex ratio was 5.5. Bipolar I disorder was diagnosed in 88.5% of patients. The mean age of onset was 27.73 years, and the mean duration of illness was 8.4 years. *The mean total score at the FAST was 22.23. *Functioning was altered on 69.2% of patients. *The occupational and the cognitive functioning were the two most altered domains in our population (respective mean scores : 8.69 and 5.74). *Autonomy was altered on 17.9% of patients. *Occupationnal functioning was altered on 76.9% of patients. *Cognitive functioning was altered on 70.5% of patients. *Financial issues were observed on 34.6% of patients. *Interpersonal relationships were altered on 41% of patients. *Leisure time difficulties were present with 24.4% of patients.

This work has focused on the very high frequency of functional handicap in euthymic bipolar patients. Thus, several measures must be put in place to prevent or mitigate the negative effects of the impaired functioning on these patients.

No significant relationships.

Electro-convulsive Therapy (ECT) has been considered a useful for the treatment of depression and other affective disorders, however it is considered as a last resort given the risks and possible adverse effects.

The objective of this review is to assess the use of ECT (in terms of efficacy and tolerability) for patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder and how it can be compared with other treatments more commonly used to treat this disorder.

A search was carried out in Medline and in the Virtual Health Library as well as in the Trripdatabase with the search terms “Bipolar disorder”, “Bipolar Depression”, “ECT”, “ECT treatment” and “Mania” in English and narrowing the search to the last 5 years. 8 articles were included for the review after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.

A favorable and well tolerated response was observed when applied ECT on patients with Bipolar disorder, especially the elderly populations. It was observed that the administration of unilateral and bilateral ECT are both equally effective. A better response was detected to ECT compared to newer treatments like ketamine, as well as lower suicide rate when ECT was used compared to other treatments.

ECT is considered an effective and safe treatment for Bipolar Disorder and should be taken into account not only as a last resort. Even so, given the limitations observed, it is necessary to carry out further investigation on the matter.

No significant relationships.

Arnold Chiari malformation (ACM), a condition in which a portion of the brain pushes through the opening at the base of the skull, can cause headaches, dizziness, difficulty swallowing, muscle weakness and balance problems. The prevalence in the general population has been estimated at slightly less than 1/1000. The majority of these cases are asymptomatic. Chiari malformations are often detected coincidently among patients who have undergone diagnostic imaging for unrelated reasons. Several cases of psychiatric illness comorbid with ACM type 1 (ACM1) are reported in the literature.

Here we reported a patient with bipolar affective disorder, manic episode with a history of depressive episodes for 2 years comorbid with ACM1.

A 39 year-old-woman,with the history of panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder comorbid with depression have been using sertraline 50 mg/day for a year, admitted for decreased need of sleep, grandiosity, increased libido,risky behaviours, rapid speech and agitation. The patient met DSM 5 criteria for a manic episode and was hospitalized. She had a positive history of depression in her family. Her lab work up was unremarkable; including negative urine toxicology. MRI scans, for exclusion of organicity, demonstrated ACM1. Her treatment was started with a regimen of haloperidol 20 mg/day, biperiden 10 mg/day. The treatment was switched to olanzapine 20mg/day upon detection of rigidity. Lithium was added as 900mg/day. Neurosurgery, outpatient control was recommended by neurosurgery.

The patient’s symptoms gradually improved within one week with attainment of euthymic mood.

This case might show that ACM1 could cause abnormal functioning of brain circuits promoting psychiatric symptoms.

No significant relationships.

Impairments of empathy have been observed in patients with various psychiatric Disorders. Yet, little research on empathy concerning mood disorders exists.

To compare empathy levels in euthymic bipolar patients (BP) and healthy controls (HC).

A cross-sectional and comparative study of 78 patients followed for bipolar disorder, during euthymia, at the psychiatric outpatient clinic at CHU Hédi Chaker in Sfax, and 78 age-gender matched HC. We used a socio-demographic and clinical data sheet and the Questionnaire of Cognitive And Affective Empathy (QCAE) to assess empathy with its two dimensions : “Affective empathy” and “Cognitive empathy”.

The average age was 36.27 years, the sex ratio was 5.5. Bipolar I disorder was diagnosed in 88.5% of patients. The mean age of onset was 27.73 years, and the mean duration of illness was 8.4 years. Total scores of empathy as well as scores of cognitive and affective empathy were higher in HC than in BP. *Total QCAE BP vs HC : 72.49 vs 80.53 *Cognitive empathy BP vs HC : 43.21 vs 94.24 *Affective empathy BP vs HC : 29.36 vs 30.44 A significant difference in QCAE score and cognitive empathy score between BP and HC was found (p<10-3).

In our study, euthymic BP have been less empathetic than HC. Research on the subject are small and few. Thus, more studies are needed to confirm our results on the effect of mood disorders on empathy.

No significant relationships.

Bipolar disorder is a serious mental disorder. Although bipolar disorder I (BDI) might seem to have a more complex evolution and severe prognosis than bipolar disorder II (BDII) because of cross-sectional symptom severity, BDII has a high episode frequency, high rates of psychiatric comorbidities and recurrent suicidal behaviours that impair functioning and quality of life.

To explore whether there are differences between patients with BDI and BDII concerning sociodemographic and clinical variables of interest.

A sample of 407 euthymic patients with bipolar disorder (307 BDI and 100 BDII) being age 18 or older was recruited from the Bipolar and Depressive Disorders Unit of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected through the administration of semi-structured interview and clinical scales. Differences between groups in these variables were analysed using the Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests, as appropriate. The level of significance was set at p <0.05.

We found statistically significant differences between both groups. Patients with BD II were older (p<0.001), presented a longer illness duration (p=0,001) and a greater subsyndromal depressive symptomatology (p=0,010). Patients with BDI had a higher number of previous hospitalizations (p<0,001) and higher rates of psychotic symptoms (p<0,001) even during the first episode (p<0,001).

Our data suggests that clinical differences exist between both bipolar subtypes. The episodes may be more serious, with a greater presence of a history of psychosis, and require more hospitalizations in BDI patients. In the BDII group, persistent subsyndromal symptoms may predominate, especially of the depressive pole.

No significant relationships.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a psychotraumatic event .

The aim of our study was to investigate the clinical manifestations of PTSD in the pediatric population.

This is a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out on children over the age of 7 and victims of a traumatic event that had occurred at least one month before. They were recruited from August 2020 to April 2021, in child psychiatry department. The clinical manifestations were evaluated using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale Child and Adolescent version for DSM 5 (CAPS CA5) in Tunisian dialect. The statistical processing of these data was carried out using SPSS 26 software.

We recruited 101 children who had experienced a traumatic event which was in 35.6% physical assault, 47.5% sexual assault and in 16.8 % exposure to death. The mean age was 10.7 years at the onset of traumatic event and 11.74 years at the interview. We noted in our patients a female predominance at 64.4%. Diagnosis of PTSD according to the diagnostic criteria of the DSM5 was retained in 54.5% of cases. Intrusive symptoms were present in 81.2%, with 66.3% of involuntary, intrusive memories. Persistent avoidance of stimuli was noted in 80.2%. 71.3% of cases suffered from negative cognition and mood. We found in 66.3% marked alterations in trauma-related arousal and reactivity. Resulting in clinicialy significant distress in71.3%.

Recognizing PTSD symptoms is essential for diagnosis to initiate specialized care and reduce impairment at this critical age.

No significant relationships.

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) are common in children and adolescents (CA), cause functional disability and high health care use. Internet based cognitive behavioral therapy (i-CBT) have shown promising effect in Sweden. The treatment is exposure based and target avoidance behavior. Cognitive biases regarding bodily symptoms are suggested to be part of development and maintenance of functional disorders in adults, and could therefore be an important treatment target. Little is known about cognitive biases in CA with FGID, and hence the potential importance, it is crucial to explore more in depth. This study is embedded in The Danish FGID Treatment Study which aims to test Swedish i-CBT treatment in a Danish context.

1) Examine cognitive biases in CA with FGID, compared with healthy controls. 2) Asses these biases before and after treatment for FGID to investigate changes and impact on treatment effect.

We developed a novel experimental approach to examine possible cognitive biases in CA. It consists of a picture task and a FGID-specific version of the Health Norms Sorting Task. We will examine 60 CA with FGID, who are included in The Danish FGID Treatment Study before and after treatment. In addition we will perform the test on 100 healthy controls.

The results are expected to improve our understanding of maintaining cognitive factors in CA with FGID, and how these may affect outcome and change during treatment, and how they differ from the general population.

This study can provide new targets for treatment approaches.

No significant relationships.

Few studies have analyzed the psychometric profile (Homogenous/Heterogenous), established by the Wechsler scale in high intellectual potential children (HIP, IQ>130), regarding the psycho-socio-emotional characteristics.

We aimed to look at the links between the IQ-profile and the psycho-socio-emotional characteristics in HIP.

Anamnestic questionnaire and Wechsler-Intelligence-Scale for children (WISC-V) were conducted and analyzed in 58 healthy children with HIP, aged 7-to-13 years-old (mean 10y; SD 1.8). It was possible to distinguished 27 Homogenousvs 30 Heterogenous IQ-profile.

No significant difference between homogenous/heterogonous groups, FIQ was positively significantly correlated with “Reacting very little emotionally”, “Tendency to isolation”. Visual-Spatial-Index (VSI) with “Ability to adapt to new people” (r=-0.4, p=0.02), “few interests” (r=0.5, p=0.008). Verbal-Comprehension-Index (VCI) with “Reacting strongly to frustration”, “Difficulties to understand limits”, “Separation anxiety”. A significant difference between homogenous/heterogonous groups was shown regarding “few interests” with high rate in the heterogonous group (t= -2.34, p=0.023).

HIP seems to cover specific psycho-socio-emotional characteristics linked to IQ index distribution. Thus, it appears interesting to assess more the emotional and socio-cognitive field to understand these characteristics in HIP children.

No significant relationships.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by qualitative impairments in social interaction, communication, and restricted and repetitive behaviors [1]. Despite of these symptoms, some patients present different manifestations of irritability. These can be expressed in different kinds of disruptive behaviors. Recent studies shown that, at least 20% of children with autism present irritability symptoms, which cause severe social and familiar disturbances [2].

The aim of this study was to evaluate short-term efficacy of aripiprazole in children in comparison with other antipsychotic. We include behaviors related to irritability as all kinds of aggressions, tantrums and self-injuries.

90 patients were recruited. 45 of the patients received aripiprazole and 45 received other antipsychotic. The initial doses of aripiprazole was 2,5 mg/day. Doses were increase related to symptoms. The range of the doses were from 2,5 to 15 mg/day.

From these 45 patients 12 had a relapse (26,6%) during the next two years. From the second group, 20 (44.4%) of the patients had a relapse during the next two years. Five of the aripiprazole group (11,1%) abandon treatment. From the second group twelve patients (26.6%) also abandon treatment. Prolactin rates with aripiprazole were 28.2 ng/ml for males and 14.1 ng/ml for women.

In general, the result of our research indicated that Aripiprazole was effective and generally safe and well tolerated in the treatment of irritability associated with ASD. One of the limitations was that we do not use scales in order to measure the changes.

No significant relationships.

Methylphenidate and amphetamine are the two most widely used stimulants in managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)1. Reynaud’s phenomenon (RP) is a reversible distal vasoconstriction presenting with various dermatological symptoms. RP can secondarily develop after certain medications as well2.

The review was undertaken to synthesize the incidence of RP within ADHD population treated with stimulants, and any causal relation of RP and stimulant-use.

PubMed, Psych-Info and Google Scholar were searched using these keywords: skin change, Raynaud, stimulants and methylphenidate. All relevant study types were included. Results were synthesized narratively.

Initial search yielded 240 articles with 5 articles fulfilling our inclusion criteria. One was retrospective case-controlled study while remaining 4 were case reports. Six cases were identified with an age of 12-19 years, who presented with RP after being treated with methylphenidate-or-dextroamphetamine. In one case, multiple clinical signs of RP were seen with cold distal fingers, transient color changes and even frank ulceration3–6. In two cases, it was seen that RP was dose-dependent with stimulant use and got resolved after decreasing the dosage respectively. In case-control study, 32 cases with RP and 32 controls were enrolled. The results showed a statistically significant association (χ2 =5, p=0.01) between RP and past-or-current stimulant usage.7

The literature review suggests weak evidence of the association between RP and stimulant use but no evidence of any causal link. Further studies are needed to identify characters that can predict this adverse effect in vulnerable ADHD individuals.

No significant relationships.

Psychiatric disorders are common in children, and academic attainment is lower in children with psychiatric disorders. There are few data about the occurrence of mental health problems and the academic attainment among children in Chile.

To determine the occurrence of mental health problems and its association with academic attainment in first-year students of elementary schools in Chile

The study was conducted in 39 urban and rural public elementary schools in Chile in 2019. The academic performance was measured using the Woodcock Muñoz IV Battery and the Corsi Bock-Tapping test. Mental health was assessed using the self-report Dominique Interactive and Strengths in children and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) instruments in their parents and teachers. A triangulation of information was conducted between different informants.

Overall 610 children were included in the analysis (mean age 7.10 years (SD=0.58), 51% women, 36% from rural area). A higher score in mathematics and reading was negatively correlated to a higher score in emotional symptoms, hyperactivity and peer relationship difficulties, separately, based on both teacher- and parent-reported SDQ. The correlation coefficient between reading scores with Dominique Interactive and Strengths externalizing symptoms was -0.22 (p<0,05). A higher maternal education level was associated with higher education attainment in their children (p <0,05). There was no association between rurality and children’s mental health symptoms.

The current results can inform local stakeholders in Chile about the importance of mental health at a very early age.

No significant relationships.

FAS and FASD are completely preventable conditions which can be reduced by methods of prevention aimed at alcohol eliminating by women during pregnancy.

The aim of the study was to assess level of intellectual impairment in children with FAS and FASD.

All children who participated in the study had physical development retardation and various dysmorphological features of FAS or FASD. The sample included 77 children, 8.6±1.03 years of age. FAS was diagnosed in 8 children, FASD in 69 children. Assessments were carried out by pediatrician, psychiatrist and psychologist; level of intelligence was assessed using WISC test.

Among children with FAS average IQ was 65.9 points (extremely low level), which corresponds to «mild mental retardation» diagnosis (F70, ICD-10). Four children with FAS had intelligence corresponding to «very low» level (IQ=70-79), three had «mild mental retardation» (IQ=50-69), and one had «moderate mental retardation» (F71, ICD-10) (IQ=35-49). Among children with FASD average IQ was higher and reached 79.5 points, corresponding to «very low» intelligence level. «Moderate mental retardation» was identified in 7.8% children with FASD; 22.1% children had «mild mental retardation», and 27.3% had «very low». In 37.7% children IQ level was within normal range: «low average» in 19.5% (IQ=80-89) and «average» in 18.2% (IQ=90-109). «Very high intelligence» (IQ=120-129) was detected in 2.6% children, «extremely high intelligence» (IQ=130 points and above) in 2.6%.

All children with FAS had impaired mental development. Children with FASD showed a wide range of total IQ values, from moderate degree of mental retardation to very high intelligence.

No significant relationships.