Dr Paul Vroegop
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Child and Adolescent Consult-Liaison Psychiatrist & Pain Specialist, Counties Manukau Health, Auckland, NZ
Paul is a consultant child and adolescent liaison psychiatrist and specialist pain medicine physician working in Tāmaki Makaurau (Counties Manukau Chronic Pain Service, Starship Paediatric Complex Pain Team and ACC) and Te Tai Tokerau (Northland Pain Service and Te Roopu Kimiora CAMHS).
Paul has extensive experience working with young people, adults and their whanau with complex co-existing health problems including persistent pain, complex medical and functional disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD and mental health disorders. |
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Neurophysiological Changes in ASD and ADHD (Across the Lifespan)
Neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD are common, often under-recognised, and may pose a number of challenges when people also experience persistent pain. There are multiple factors impacting on lived pain experience that may be altered in people with neurodevelopmental disorders, including sensory differences, altered pain processing, altered neurotransmitter functioning, altered social and communication challenges, and behavioural responses to internal and external environmental challenges, including threat response systems. This discussion will identify the current evidence around these factors.
Pain Presentations in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: The Impact of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) on Chronic Pain Assessment and Management
Assessment, engagement and management of people with co-morbid neurodevelopmental disorders and persistent pain face possible challenges around communication and recognition, differing sensory and cognitive functioning, differing pain beliefs and historical difficulties accessing health and disability care. This may be further complicated by developmental age and family/whanau functioning and reorganisation and resultant diagnostic uncertainty. This discussion will focus on useful practical approaches for working with persistent pain in children, adults and whanau/family with ADHD and ASD, including the importance of managing comorbid symptoms and working with multiple health providers.
