Weakness in grammar understanding is key future of specific language impairment (SLI) in children. There has been a considerable amount of work on the language abilities of children with SLI, but we still know relatively little about their other cognitive abilities –in particular their non-linguistic cognitive strengths and weaknesses.

The aim of this research was to examine the hypothesis that Russian-speaking children at the age of 4 with deficit in executive abilities have a risk for emerging weakness in grammar understanding at the age of 6.

One hundred and twenty-five children at the age of 4 were assessed with the NEPSY to reveal children with different level of executive abilities. We have revealed 21 children with deficit in executive abilities. The control group included 21 children with typical level of executive abilities. The children from experimental and control group were matched for IQ and gender. In the framework of longitudinal research, children at the age of 6 from both groups were assessed by Grammar Understanding Test from Luria's neuropsychological assessment technique.

Two-way ANOVAs with repeated measures revealed significant differences between groups for scores in the Grammar Understanding Test. Children from experimental group had weakness in grammar understanding.

We have revealed that children at the age of 4 with weakness in executive abilities have a risk for emerging weakness in grammar understanding at the age of 6. In view of the obtained results, it can be assumed that executive abilities have influence on the development of grammar understanding in preschool children.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

Neurocognitive deficits are assumed to be underlying the behavioral symptoms of ADHD. Research over the years has identified a host of these neurocognitive deficits, but no single one deficit appears to be dominant or pervasive in all ADHD children. This raises the query whether there can be further subgrouping of ADHD children at the neurocognitive level.

This study aims at disentangling the heterogeneous neurocognitive deficits underlying ADHD. To achieve this, we explore if there are separable neurocognitive subgroups in ADHD children.

One hundred and sixty-four Chinese ADHD boys and 163 typically developing controls, aged 6 to 12, were recruited in Hong Kong. A neurocognitive battery of executive function (EF) measures was administered. Cluster analysis was first conducted to identify subgroups of ADHD children based on their neurocognitive functioning. MANOVA was then employed to further explore the differences between subgroups.

Two ADHD subgroups were identified. One subgroup showed multiple EF deficits, including disinhibition, impaired interference control, distorted temporal information processing, slow processing speed, and delay aversion. The other subgroup, on the contrary, had intact EF but increased response variability. Both subgroups had comparable ADHD phenotypic severity and comorbidity pattern. However, ADHD children in the EF deficits subgroup were more responsive to medication (i.e., methylphenidate).

Results support the neurocognitive heterogeneity of ADHD. EF deficits and response variability are two separable neurocognitive profiles underlying and subgrouping ADHD children of comparable severity. This subgrouping has implication for medication response and offers candidate endophenotypes for neuroimaging and genetic study.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Studies on relationships between music, visual imagery or therapeutic techniques, like mindfulness and emotions have been undertaken with varying success in predominantly adult populations. Their role in the child and adolescent population remains unclear.

We undertook a systematic literature review to assess current evidence in the use of music, guided imagery with/without therapeutic techniques for emotional processing in adults, children and adolescents.

We identified 87 relevant papers (JSTOR, OVID Medline, Cochrane, PubMed, Science Direct, Taylor & Francis and Wiley). We excluded non-English papers and qualitative analyses. Nine studies used quantitative techniques (Neuroimaging) for assessing emotional change using musical and non-musical stimuli (n = 77). Of these, four studies used fMRI and two used PET scans.

fMRI demonstrates a significant relation between amygdalar activation and emotional response to visual imagery (P < 0.05, n = 45). Early information using PET scanning shows a significant association between activation of different parts of brain with varied visual imagery (one study, n = 5) and varied music (one study, n = 10). There is similarity in the activation of specific cortical areas using musical and non-musical stimuli. Two separate studies of patients with damaged amygdala due to disease (n = 6) showed significant impairment of emotional processing and response.

There is early encouraging data providing evidence of possible relationships between music and visual imagery in emotional processing. Further studies are needed to examine these in detail, especially in children/adolescents. Music with visual imagery may be a useful adjunct in the self-guided processing of milder emotional disorders with components of anxiety, depression, adjustment and emotional dysregulation.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The long-term safety and efficacy of lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (LDX) in children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was evaluated in a European 2-year, open-label study (SPD489-404).

To evaluate the time-course of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) in SPD489-404.

Participants aged 6–17 years received open-label LDX (30, 50 or 70 mg/day) for 104 weeks (4 weeks dose-optimization; 100 weeks dose-maintenance).

All enrolled participants (n = 314) were included in the safety population and 191 (60.8%) completed the study. TEAEs occurred in 282 (89.8%) participants; most were mild or moderate. TEAEs considered by the investigators as related to LDX were reported by 232 (73.9%) participants with the following reported for ≥ 10% of participants: decreased appetite (49.4%), weight decreased (18.2%), insomnia (13.1%). TEAEs leading to discontinuation and serious TEAEs occurred in 39 (12.4%) and 28 (8.9%) participants, respectively. The median (range) time to first onset and duration, respectively, of TEAEs identified by the sponsor as being of special interest were: insomnia (insomnia, initial insomnia, middle insomnia, terminal insomnia), 17.0 (1–729) and 42.8 (1–739) days; weight decreased, 29.0 (1–677) and 225.0 (26–724) days; decreased appetite, 13.5 (1–653) and 169.0 (1–749) days; headache, 22.0 (1–718) and 2.0 (1–729) days. Reports of insomnia, weight decreased, decreased appetite and headache were highest in the first 4–12 weeks.

TEAEs associated with long-term LDX treatment were characteristic of stimulant medications, with the greatest incidence observed during the first 4–12 weeks.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The problem of children's mental health in Ukraine – it is one of the most pressing problems in the country's health. This is due to the increasing number of extreme situations (military operations in the territory of Ukraine) for the last time that calls for the training of specialists capable of carrying out psychosocial rehabilitation to victims of “anti-terrorist operation”(ATO).

The mental and behaviour disorders in children affected of ATO. We studied 261 families: 107 adults and 154 children. The aim of the project was to optimize the provision of psycho-social support for children and adolescents with problems of the psychic sphere by developing a system of psychological adjustment and social education at the Centre for psychosocial rehabilitation of children, as well as the creation of the necessary conditions that expand the comfort and a safe space for the child to enhance positive impacts and mitigate negative impacts of the social environment.

The leading role was played by a combination of two areas of work, namely the psychocorrection (trainings, art-, individual-, family-, hyppo-therapy) and social work.

In 85.4% of the children showed stabilization of mental and emotional state, reducing aggression, increasing motivation to social activity. In 56.3% of families – reducing conflict relations.

The non-standard way of psycho-correction allowed organizing a fruitful and creative leisure, which resulted in the reduction of aggression and anxiety, increased motivation for the successful development of new activities and problem-solving skills and conflict situations with peers and family members.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The move from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to adults’ services (AMHS) is likely to coincide with other transitions in the adolescents’ life. Barriers affecting this transition have been referred in most countries, but there is a lack of studies on this matter.

To evaluate the transitional process from CAMHS to AMHS in Portugal, focusing on four criteria: continuity of care, parallel care, a transition planning meeting and information transference. The continuity/discontinuity of the diagnosis and therapeutic plan made at CAMHS has also evaluated.

Identification from a sample of adolescents transferred from Clínica da Juventude (adolescents’ clinic) to 3 major AMHS, collecting information regarding the quality of the transition between these services.

Fifty-nine adolescents were discharged in 2014, average of 16.5 years old, after being followed in our clinic for an average of 7.44 months. Ten continued being followed in adult psychiatric services (17.5%), with different disorders: 4 depressive, 2 personality, 1 anxiety, 1 bipolar, 1 addiction to psychoactive substances, and 1 oppositional defiant disorder. Even in those cases the transition was far from optimal, with 4 of those presenting the need to use adult emergency facilities.

Several barriers between CAMHS and AMHS might account for the ongoing problem with the transition between services. In addition, considering that the onset of severe and recurring mental disorders begins generally before the age of 25, this raises the discussion around the present distinction between child and adolescent mental health services and adult services at 18 years old.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The needs of people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions (ASC) are varied and complex. In order to improve outcomes for Adults with Autism, it is important to understand and evaluate the transition planning process and current services for adolescents/young Adults with ASC.

Aim was to undertake the needs assessment audit of all young people (ages 16–19) open to a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service. Objectives was to ensure that transition/discharge plan was in place for all the open cases and also identify any gaps in service provision.

A retrospective case-note review of all open cases (n = 41) aged 16–19 was undertaken. Data was obtained on diagnosis, co morbid problems, educational status, and transition/discharge plans.

Twenty-two percent of the cases had co morbid moderate to severe Intellectual Disability. Transition was not an issue for this group, with entitlement of support from secondary-care-teams. Seventy-eight percent of the cases had diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome (AS)/high functioning autism (HFA). Seventy-five percent had co-morbid depressive/anxiety disorders, 12% had ADHD and 10% presented with repeated self-harm/suicidal behaviour. Nature of the co-morbid problems/risks did not meet thresholds for Community Adult Secondary Mental Health Services resulting in discharge to Primary Health Care Services.

Better training to equip primary care staff, such as General Practitioners is needed to support the growing numbers of young adults with HFA/Asperger's syndrome being discharged to their care. Costs/benefits of providing specialist adult services for people with HFA and AS to be considered in order to improve outcomes for adults with autism.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

There are increasing concerns regarding long-term psychotropic polypharmacy prescribed for foster care youth 3.5 to 5 times more often than in at-home youth (Kreider et al., 2014). Polypharmacy risks include weight gain, glucose intolerance and type 2 diabetes. (De Hert et al., 2011). In view of these risks, novel interventions are essential to safeguard foster care youth from overmedication.

To present guidelines for identification and management of polypharmacy in foster care youth.

To demonstrate a novel intervention to monitor and diminish polypharmacy and enhance psychiatric care in foster care children.

Polypharmacy is identified using LA County Juvenile Court Mental Health Service (JCMHS) Psychotropic Parameters* to review medication consent forms from treating psychiatrists. Polypharmacy triggers an in-person JCHMS consultation. *(Parameters 3.9 for JCMHS PMAF Review, Revised May 2015).

JCMHS Psychotropic Parameters (summary):

• – age 0–5 years:

• – 2 or > psychotropic medications,

• – Any antipsychotic (*except Risperidone in ASD);

• – age 6–8 years:

• – 3 or > psychotropic medications;

• – age 9–17 years:

• – 4 or > psychotropic medications;

• – All age youth:

• – 2 or > psychotropic medications in the same class (antipsychotics, antidepressants, stimulants, mood stabilizers, alpha agonists).

Psychotropic medication doses in excess of recommended (*LA County Department of Mental Health Parameters 3.8 for use of Psychotropic Medications for Children and Adolescents).

Approximately 25% of JCMHS annual psychiatric consultations were initiated by JCMHS parameters for polypharmacy. Corresponding consultations included education and recommendations discussed with treating psychiatrists regarding polypharmacy and optimal psychiatric management.

JCMHS Psychotropic Parameters is a useful tool to identify polypharmacy and enhance psychiatric care of foster care youth.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Results indicate a higher rate of admissions in adopted males than females, being attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood the most common diagnosis. Rate of readmission is higher in males.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Working memory (WM) is the ability to retain and manipulate information during a short period of time. According to previous studies, children who have neurocognitive dysfunctions, such as ADHD and learning disorder were found to have a WM problem, which was associated with frontal lobe dysfunction, especially dysfunctions in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

In the present study, we developed the computer-based WM tasks for school-aged children, which help to provide a timely assessment of risk and preventive intervention for children with subclinical attention problems.

We evaluated the construct and concurrent validity of newly developed WM tasks.

A hundred and fourteen 8- to 10-year-old children were recruited. The newly developed, computer-based WM tasks consist of two domains:

– auditory-verbal WM;

– visual-spatial WM.

We examined the construct validity of the tasks through examining the developmental trend of the WM abilities with age. To determine the concurrent validity of those tasks, we conducted correlation analyses between the participants’ scores and their scores on well-known measures of verbal and visual WM; Arithmetic and Letter-Number Sequencing subtest of intelligence scale (KEDI WISC), and Corsi block test.

There are marked linear increasing trends of the response accuracy with age. Further, there were high correlations between the scores of two WM tasks and the corresponding scores of standardized assessment tools.

This study showed promising evidence for the validity of computer-based tasks assessing WM, which might have the utility for school-aged children in research and clinical settings.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

According to the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment guidelines, atomoxetine (ATX) is a second line treatment after stimulants and therefore a serious monitoring of ATX prescribing is necessary to avoid inappropriate prescribing.

In most countries in Central Europe, except Germany, there is no data on drug consumption for ADHD medicines (expressed in defined daily dose (DDD)/ADHD patient/year).

The main purposes of this study were: calculate and present the pattern and evolution of national consumption in Slovenia expressed in the percentage of DDD/patient/year consumption for the period 2003–2012.

The national consumption and population data for this period were obtained from Slovenian databases. A DDD/ADHD patient/year was calculated. Only immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-MPH), methylphenidate-osmotic release oral delivery system (OROS-MPH) and ATX have been available and included in this study.

Less than 50% of patients with ADHD are treated with medications in Slovenia. A total consumption rose rapidly from 41.3 in 2003 to 148.5 DDD/ADHD patient/year in 2012. The total consumption for ATX and MPH is almost equal (140.9 for ATX and 150.3 for MPH in 2012). This result is lower as it has been seen in Germany (208 DDD/ADHD patient/year in 2008 for MPH).

In the last decade in Slovenia, the total consumption is increasing rapidly, which indicates a positive trend. This pattern (low total consumption) has not been seen in Germany. After the new drugs have been available on the Slovenian market, the total consumption rose rapidly.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Eye movement recordings can provide information about higher-level processing of visual information. Recent evidence shows a novel role for eye vergence in orienting attention (Solé Puig et al., 2013). Based on such eye tracking data, the BGaze method (Braingaze; Spain) detects visual attention. The outcomes of the BGaze method have been applied to classify ADHD patients from healthy controls.

In this study, we validated the BGaze method.

We therefore recorded eye movements in children while performing a visual detection task.

We evaluated the BGaze method using 4 types of supervised machine learning algorithms. In total, 138 different trained models were tested. Nineteen ADHD diagnosed patients (children 7–14 years of age) and 19 healthy age matched controls were used to build the 138 models. We performed 30 times repeated random sub-sampling validation. In each repeated random split, training set consisted of 80% of the data and test set of the remaining 20%. Finally, all the 138 models were tested with a validation set consisting of 232 children, including 22 ADHD patients.

Across all the 138 models, BGaze method showed an average accuracy of 90.84% (minimum 86.21%; maximum, 95.26%) and an average AUC of 0.95 (minimum 0.90; maximum, 0.97). Best models gave accuracies of 92%, AUCs of 0.96 and FN and FP rates of 4.3% and 7.5%, respectively. Mean scores during the training-testing phase averaged 99.63%.

The BGaze method is robust, accurate, and can provide an objective tool supporting the clinical diagnosis of ADHD.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Few child psychiatrists are well trained in family-based interventions for military families who experience significant trauma, intergenerational posttraumatic stress disorder, substance abuse, depression and high rates of suicide (Ramsawh et al., 2014). The innovative VA/UCLA/LACDMH Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training program, sponsored jointly by the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VA) and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LAC DMH), will address unmet needs of at-risk military families using a family-focused model also applicable to other families exposed to trauma.

To present the curriculum of the VA/UCLA/LACDMH training program and details of the collaboration between the LA VA and LAC DMH.

To highlight how innovative child psychiatry training programs can be developed through creative institutional collaborations.

The VA/UCLA/LACDMH program family-based model and FOCUS (Lester et al., 2011) intervention were structured to meet regulatory standards of child psychiatry training programs.

A specialized family-based child training program was created to meet the needs of at-risk military families while providing rigorous child and adolescent psychiatry training. Components Early Intervention Family Clinic for At-Risk Children provides family psychoeducation, and identifies children and adolescents at risk.

An evidence-based early intervention for at-risk military families to enhance resilience and mitigate stress through improved coping, increased problem solving, and effective communication.

A successful collaboration between the LA VA and LAC DMH can lead to an innovative family-based child psychiatry training program.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Twenty percent of children and adolescent population are suffering from psychiatric disorders, according to World Health Organization. Above that, clinical work and previous published reports point to increase of self-harm behaviour incidence and prevalence in many countries, including Croatia.

To compare defence mechanisms in adolescent patients with deliberate self-harm behaviour and without it.

To explore differences in adaptive and maladaptive defence mechanisms in adolescent patients with self-harm behaviour and without this behaviour; to gain better insight in possible perception and functioning patterns in these two patient subgroups. To assess the effect of possible differences on early diagnostic procedure and therapeutic plan.

Defence Style Questionnaire (DSQ) was administered to 150 patients aged between 14 and 18 years on their first visit to child and adolescent psychiatrist. Sevety-nine patients had history of self-harm behaviour and 81 patients had negative anamnestic data on such behaviour.

Comparison of defence mechanisms in these two patient subgroups showed a statistically relevant difference in using defence mechanisms.

Results of this study showed significant difference between patients with self-harm behaviour and without such behaviour regarding used defence mechanisms. Awareness of specific mental patterns in patients with self-harm behaviour provides better assessment of suicidal risk and optimal individual approach planning.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The cutaneous polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP) is presented by skin lesions usually in the third trimester of gestation and about 13% of women also suffer from perinatal depression.

To determine the frequency of pruritic urticarial papules of gestation with and without perinatal depression.

To assess the maternal causes for polymorphic eruption of pregnancy (PEP) in patients with and without perinatal depression.

Cases and controls were matched on the grounds of maternal weight gain in gestation, hormonal changes, deficit in iron and zinc, dysregulation of hypothalamic pituitary axis, pre-maturity, pre-eclampsia, pre-term labour. Univariate and multivariate analysis, adjusting for important demographic factors and comorbodities was conducted to assess the relationship of PEP with and without perinatal depression in reduced and full models of ANOVA in regression analysis. (Reduced model Y = β0 + β1X1 + … and the full model Y = β0 + β1X1 + β2X2 + β3X3 + β4X4 + β5X5 + β6X6 + …)

Polymorphic eruption of pregnancy with perinatal depression was statistically significant in maternal weight gain in gestation [odds ratio (OR) 1.20; 95% (CI): 1.15–1.30], hormonal changes [(OR) 2.78; 95% (CI): 2.52–2.82], deficit in iron and zinc [(OR) 2.18; 95% (CI): 2.04–2.38], dysregulation of hypothalamic pituitary axis [(OR) 1.37; 95% (CI): 1.18–1.49] and was not statistically significant in pre-maturity, pre-eclampsia and pre-term labour in cases and controls.

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of gestation are commonly associated in patients with perinatal derpession.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects approximately 15% of youth, half of who do not respond to standard treatment. One promising intervention is repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). However, response is limited, highlighting the need to focus on biomarkers to predict treatment response.

To explore baseline biomarkers of response associated with rTMS treatment in adolescent MDD.

To determine the association between dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) glutamate levels, cortical thickness, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) with MDD symptomatology decrease after rTMS intervention.

Twenty-four MDD youth underwent 3 weeks of rTMS, baseline and post-intervention magnetic resonance imaging scans, and short echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Response was determined by a 50% reduction of depression scores.

Depressive symptoms decreased with rTMS (t = 8.304, P = 0.00). Glutamate levels differed significantly between responders and non-responders (t = 2.24, P = 0.0039), where higher glutamate changes were associated with a better response (r = 0.416, P = 0.038). Responders also exhibited thinner DLPFC (r = –0.797, P = 0.000) and lower CBF levels.

The development of biomarkers for rTMS represents a novel and encouraging technique for a personalized and effective treatment while reducing ineffective treatment costs and personal burden in adolescent MDD.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

To evaluate in adults the associations between persistent ADHD and comorbid psychiatric disorders and gender differences, among subjects from a population-based birth cohort.

Subjects were recruited from a birth cohort of all children born during 1976–1982 who remained in Rochester, MN after five years of age. Participating subjects with research-identified childhood ADHD (n = 232; mean age 27.0 years; 72% men) and non-ADHD controls (n = 335; mean age 28.6 years; 63% men) were administered a structured psychiatric interview (MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) to assess current ADHD status and comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Among the 232 with research-identified childhood ADHD, 68 (49 men and 19 women) had persistent adult ADHD. Compared to subjects without childhood ADHD, adults with persistent ADHD were significantly more likely to have any (81% vs. 35%, P < 0.001) as well as each of the specific psychiatric comorbidities. The associations retained significance when stratified by gender and there were no significant gender by ADHD interactions on psychiatric disorders except for dysthymia with which ADHD was more strongly associated in women than men. Among subjects with persistent ADHD, externalizing psychiatric disorders were more common in men (73%) and internalizing disorders were more common in women (53%).

Persistent ADHD is associated with an increased risk of comorbid psychiatric disorders in both adult men and women. Clinicians treating adults with persistent ADHD need to be aware of comorbid psychiatric disorders, especially externalizing disorders for men and internalizing disorders for women.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Chronic tics and Tourette syndrome (TS) can be comorbid with several neuropsychiatric conditions and may add to the complexity of children's clinical presentation and need for inpatient input.

To review the clinical notes of all children admitted to a National Children's Inpatient Unit (aged up to 12 years) over a 5-year period and analyse their demographic and clinical characteristics including the presence of chronic tics/TS.

To assess the clinical correlates of comorbid chronic tics/TS in an inpatient preadolescent population.

A retrospective naturalistic study of all patients admitted to our unit from 2009 to 2014 was conducted. Children with and without chronic tics/TS were compared in terms of age, gender, family history of mental illness, history of neurodevelopmental problems in siblings, medication on admission and at discharge, length of admission and functional outcomes using Chi2 and t-tests for categorical and continuous data respectively.

A total of 133 children (mean age = 11.2 years) were included. Twenty-five (18.8%) were diagnosed with chronic tics/TS. Autism spectrum disorder was the most commonly comorbid diagnosis (84%), with the second most common being an anxiety disorder/OCD (52%). Statistically significant higher percentages of learning disability, neurodevelopmental problems in siblings, medication at discharge and longer inpatient admissions were identified in children with tics compared with the rest of the sample. No other differences were found.

The prevalence of chronic tics/TS in children needing inpatient treatment is significant. In our sample, chronic tics/TS seem to represent a marker of increased neurodevelopmental deviance and overall symptom severity.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The validity and diagnostic stability of acute and transient psychotic disorder (ATPD) has been questioned by several authors, since its introduction in the International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).

To determine the overall diagnostic stability of ATPD in scientific literature.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies and retrospective chart reviews. Computerized search was performed in MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, and Google Scholar, using the terms: “acute and transient psychotic disorder”, or “acute psychosis”, and “stability”, or “outcome”, or “long-term”, or “follow-up”, or “course”. Search was restricted to works in English published between 1993 and 2015, according to ICD-10 criteria. Opinion articles, individual case reports, researches with less than ten subjects, and overlapping studies were excluded. Data analysis was conducted using MedCalc software, version 15.8. Statistical procedure was calculated for meta-analysis of proportions.

Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria (n = 10852). For methodological purposes, a distinction was made between short-term (less than 2 years), medium-term (between 2–7 years), and long-term stability (more than 7 years). For short-term group (k = 5), the overall stability was 60.69% (fixed effects model); Cochran's heterogeneity statistic Q = 14.9, I2 = 73.15%, P = 0.0049. For medium-term group (k = 15), it was 49.99%; Q = 181.6, I2 = 92.29%, P < 0.0001. For long-term group (k = 6), it was 61.86%; Q = 35.12, I2 = 92.29%, P < 0.0001.

The global stability of ATPD indicates at the validity of the construct, but should be redefined in future revisions of ICD, to clarify better diagnostic criteria, and more predictive power.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Human factors have been reported as the reason behind the majority of car accidents. However, to date, no studies at least in the Arab world generally and Gulf area specifically, conducted a comprehensive examination of cognitive functioning as potential predictors of car accidents and driving violations.

Examining the role of cognitive functions e.g., verbal working memory, attentional control as predictors of traffic accidents and driving violations.

Examining the predictability of individual's cognition of occurrence of driving violations and accidents.

The study was carried on a sample of hundred and thirty two participants whose age ranged between 24 and 31 years. They were classified into groups of violators and non-violators, accident free and accident involved as well. Cognitive functioning were measured using self-reports and task performance, and a series of ANOVAS as well as stepwise multiple regressions were conducted to test the research hypothesis.

Findings showed significant differences between violators and non-violators and between the accident free and accident involved groups in almost all of the considered factors, except for the decision making factor. Moreover, Pearson product-moment correlations showed that there were significant negative correlations between age, driving violations, and cognitive performance and the accidents.

Human cognition such as executive functioning and mental planning are key factors for predicting driving behavior and traffic accidents. The study results have many implications in diagnosing and preventing or at least reducing driving violations and road accidents.

The author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.