Aida Bikic

• associate professor, Ph.D
• Professor (Associate) at University of Southern Denmark

External trigeminal nerve stimulation (eTNS) is a non-invasive technique involving external cutaneous stimulation of the trigeminal nerve. In 2019, the Monarch eTNS device was approved as a treatment for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The Monarch eTNS device is designed to be applied at home, which offers a certain l...

Objective This study evaluated the effectiveness of Maze Out, a serious game (SG) codesigned by patients with eating disorders (ED) and clinicians as an adjunct to treatment as usual (TAU) for improving self‐efficacy, self‐image, and engagement in individuals with ED. Effects on ineffectiveness, insecurity, and personal recovery were also examined....

Background Co-production is increasingly used in mental health research and clinical settings. Maze Out is a digital game co-produced by clinicians, patients with eating disorders (EDs), an art director with lived experience in EDs, and a game-developing company. Maze Out is based on everyday challenges when suffering from EDs and is currently bein...

Objective Replicated evidence shows a weak or non-significant correlation between different methods of evaluating executive functions (EF). The current study investigates the association between rating scales and cognitive tests of EF in a sample of children with ADHD and executive dysfunction. Method The sample included 139 children (aged 6–13) d...

Background Eating Disorders (ED) are severe and costly mental health disorders. The effects of existing treatment approaches are limited and there is a need to develop novel interventions, including digital strategies that can increase engagement and effectiveness. Maze Out is a new serious game coproduced by patients and ED therapists, which allow...

Background The quality of a child’s attachment to its primary caregiver plays an important role for its long-term socioemotional development. While ‘secure’ attachment is associated with better outcomes, ‘insecure’ attachment is associated with a higher risk of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. Children referred to mental health services sh...

Background Problems with sustained attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity are the most prominent symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but many children with this diagnosis also present with poor organizational skills that are important in relation to school. These problems tend to increase from childhood to adolescence an...

Background: Although most mental disorders have their onset in early life, the mental health needs of young people are often not addressed adequately. Open Dialogue is a need-adapted approach that mobilizes psychosocial resources in a crisis struck person’s social network. Open Dialogue is organised as a series of network meetings and seeks to prom...

Background & aim: This study investigates the effectiveness of the Cool Kids programme in two outpatient psychiatric clinics for children with anxiety. Efficacy studies find that 60–80% of programme completers improve. It is unclear if the intervention is as effective in real-life clinical treatment, as only one previous Danish effectiveness study...

Multicenter randomized clinical superiority single-blind trial investigated the effect of a computer training program targeting multiple cognitive functions. Seventy children with ADHD, aged 6–13, were randomized to intervention or control group. The intervention group used ACTIVATE™ for 8 weeks and both groups received treatment as usual and were...

Background: The purpose of this trial was to examine the feasibility and efficacy of computerized cognitive exercises from Scientific Brain Training (SBT), compared to the computer game Tetris as an active placebo, in a pilot study of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Method: Eighteen adolescents with ADHD were rando...

Open Dialogue is a resource-oriented mental health approach, which mobilises a crisis-struck person's psychosocial network resources. This scoping review 1) identifies the range and nature of literature on the adoption of Open Dialogue in Scandinavia in places other than the original sites in Finland, and 2) summarises this literature. We included...

Introduction In addition to problems with inattention and hyperactivity, children with ADHD show poor organizational skills required for managing time and materials in academic projects. Poor organizational skills are associated with academic underachievement as well as psychosocial, occupational and economic difficulties. Behavioral approaches for...

Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs), inclusive of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD), are associated with outcomes likely to increase risk of mortality. Using Danish National Registers, a total of 1.92 million individuals including 9495 individuals with DBDs diagnosed by specialist services were followed from their first...

Background: In addition to problems with attention and hyperactivity, children with ADHD present with poor organizational skills required for managing time and materials in academic projects. Organizational skills training (OST) has been increasingly used to address these deficits. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of OST in child...

Background: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention and impulsivity and/or hyperactivity and a range of cognitive dysfunctions. Pharmacological treatment may be beneficial; however, many affected individuals continue to have difficulties with cognitive functio...

This paper presents an overview of the history of the studies of mental health problems and substance use disorder (SUD) and the neurobiology and etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and SUD. Additionally, we review the literature on the associations between ADHD and SUD, the association between stimulant treatment in patient...