{
  "abstract": "Objective: This study investigated whether children with ADHD who engage in nail-biting (NB) differ clinically and cognitively from those who do not, focusing on body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), psychiatric comorbidities, and cognitive profiles.\n\nMethods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional chart-review study, 250 medication-naive children aged 8–12 years with ADHD were grouped by the presence (n = 100) or absence (n = 150) of NB. Co-occurring BFRBs, psychiatric comorbidities, cognitive performance (WISC-R subtest scaled scores) and symptom severity (RCADS-P, CPRS-R: S) were compared using Mann–Whitney U and chi-square tests, followed by multivariable binary logistic regression.\n\nResults: Compared with children with ADHD without NB, those with NB showed higher rates of co-occurring BFRBs (thumb sucking, lip or cheek biting, bruxism), anxiety disorders, obsessive–compulsive disorder and speech disorders, and substantially higher parent-rated internalizing symptoms (RCADS-P Total Anxiety and Depression, rrb = 0.55). They also obtained lower scores on selected WISC-R subtests, most consistently Vocabulary, Comprehension, Picture Completion and Picture Arrangement. In multivariable analysis, older age, higher internalizing symptoms and lower scores on these subtests were independently associated with NB.\n\nConclusion: In children with ADHD, NB and co-occurring BFRBs were associated with a greater burden of internalizing symptoms and with lower performance on selected verbal and perceptual WISC-R subtests, and may correspond to a distinct clinical profile. These associations are cross-sectional and correlational and do not imply causality.\n\nSupplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05343-2.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Etlik City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey",
    "Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Kastamonu University, 37150 Kastamonu, Turkey"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 2,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Huriye Berna Devecioğlu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-9113-1991"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Makbule Esen Öksüzoğlu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7338-5114"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2006gc4zn3f2v.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1186/s40359-026-05343-2",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13741413/",
  "id": "2006gc4zn3f2v",
  "issns": [
    "2050-7283"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05343-2",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2738|Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7202084006",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13741413",
  "pmid": "42989354",
  "published": "2026-08-10",
  "publisher": "BMC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2006gc4zn3f2v.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-10T12:22:29Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13741413",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05343-2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2738|Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Nail biting in children with ADHD: exploring its clinical correlates, psychiatric comorbidities and association with other body-focused repetitive behaviors",
  "title_text": "Nail biting in children with ADHD: exploring its clinical correlates, psychiatric comorbidities and association with other body-focused repetitive behaviors",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-10T12:22:29Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/2006gc4zn3f2v",
  "venue": "BMC Psychology",
  "versions": []
}