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Attention-deficit disorder in adults with or without hyperactivity: where is the difference? A study in humans using short echo (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The DSM-IV distinguishes three subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: The predominantly inattentive subtype (ADD), the hyperactive-impulsive subtype (ADHD) and the combined subtype. We used short echo time (1)H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (TE=30 ms, TR=3000 ms) for absolute quantification of neurometabolites using the LC model algorithm to investigate a possible metabolic neuropathology in adult patients with ADD and ADHD and compared their spectra with healthy controls (n=5 in each group). Spectra were acquired in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left striatum. There was a significant group difference in N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex distinguishing patients with the ADHD from patients with pure ADD and healthy controls. The absolute NAA concentration was significantly reduced only in the ADHD group. Since NAA-depletion reflects a state of neuronal dysfunction, this finding indicates evidence of subtle left prefrontal neuropathology in ADHD in adults.

Adult↗

Assessing ADHD and comorbid disorders in children: the Child Behavior Checklist and the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders.

Evaluated discriminant validity and clinical utility of selected subscales of the Devereux Scales of Mental Disorders (DSMD; Naglieri, LeBuffe, & Pfeiffer, 1994) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach, 1991a) in 228 children referred to a clinic for the evaluation and treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The DSMD is a multiaxial behavior rating scale that measures symptomatology for a broad range of child psychopathology as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed., rev. [DSM-R-III] and 4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1987, 1994). Discriminant function analyses as well as sensitivity, specificity, and predictive power analyses were computed to evaluate the discriminant validity and clinical utility of selected DSMD and CBCL subscales for assessing ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and anxiety disorders. Results indicated that the DSMD compared very favorably with the CBCL in the ability to discriminate between children with ADHD and those without ADHD and between children with comorbid ODD and anxiety disorders and children who did not meet criteria for these disorders. The DSMD Attention subscale may be somewhat better at ruling in ADHD combined subtype (ADHD-C) and ADHD inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) than the CBCL Attention Problems subscale, but the CBCL Attention Problems subscale may have slightly better utility than the DSMD Attention subscale in ruling out these subtypes. Both the CBCL and DSMD were more useful for ruling out than for ruling in ODD and anxiety disorders.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Time perception and reproduction in young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; n = 104) were compared with a control group (n = 64) on time estimation and reproduction tasks. Results were unaffected by ADHD subtype or gender. The ADHD group provided larger time estimations than the control group, particularly at long intervals. This became nonsignificant after controlling for IQ. The ADHD group made shorter reproductions than did the control group (15- and 60-s intervals) and greater reproduction errors (12-, 45-, 60-s durations). These differences remained after controlling for IQ and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder, depression, and anxiety. Only the level of anxiety contributed to errors (at 12-s duration) beyond the level of ADHD. Results extended findings on time perception in ADHD children to adults and ruled out comorbidity as the basis of the errors.

Adult↗

ADHD comorbidity findings from the MTA study: comparing comorbid subgroups.

OBJECTIVES: Previous research has been inconclusive whether attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), when comorbid with disruptive disorders (oppositional defiant disorder [ODD] or conduct disorder [CD]), with the internalizing disorders (anxiety and/or depression), or with both, should constitute separate clinical entities. Determination of the clinical significance of potential ADHD + internalizing disorder or ADHD + ODD/CD syndromes could yield better diagnostic decision-making, treatment planning, and treatment outcomes. METHOD: Drawing upon cross-sectional and longitudinal information from 579 children (aged 7-9.9 years) with ADHD participating in the NIMH Collaborative Multisite Multimodal Treatment Study of Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (MTA), investigators applied validational criteria to compare ADHD subjects with and without comorbid internalizing disorders and ODD/CD. RESULTS: Substantial evidence of main effects of internalizing and externalizing comorbid disorders was found. Moderate evidence of interactions of parent-reported anxiety and ODD/CD status were noted on response to treatment, indicating that children with ADHD and anxiety disorders (but no ODD/CD) were likely to respond equally well to the MTA behavioral and medication treatments. Children with ADHD-only or ADHD with ODD/CD (but without anxiety disorders) responded best to MTA medication treatments (with or without behavioral treatments), while children with multiple comorbid disorders (anxiety and ODD/CD) responded optimally to combined (medication and behavioral) treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Findings indicate that three clinical profiles, ADHD co-occurring with internalizing disorders (principally parent-reported anxiety disorders) absent any concurrent disruptive disorder (ADHD + ANX), ADHD co-occurring with ODD/CD but no anxiety (ADHD + ODD/CD), and ADHD with both anxiety and ODD/CD (ADHD + ANX + ODD/CD) may be sufficiently distinct to warrant classification as ADHD subtypes different from "pure" ADHD with neither comorbidity. Future clinical, etiological, and genetics research should explore the merits of these three ADHD classification options.

Analysis of Variance↗

Overt and relational aggression in girls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

We employed a multi-informant approach to examine attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtype differences, as well as ADHD versus comparison group differences, in overt aggression, relational aggression, and peer regard related to such aggression. Participants included 228 girls (ages 6 to 12 years) diagnosed with either ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C; n = 93), ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-I; n = 47), or nondiagnosed comparisons (n = 88) who attended research-based summer camp programs. Girls with ADHD-C exhibited higher rates of overt and relational aggression than did girls with ADHD-I, who in turn exhibited higher rates than comparison girls. For the ADHD-C subgroup, aggressive behavior was associated with both negative peer regard and lack of positive peer regard; for the ADHD-I subgroup, aggressive behavior was related to negative peer regard but not to positive peer regard. Controlling for subtype, relational aggression contributed incremental variance in peer regard over and above overt aggression, but effects for the latter were stronger. We discuss the importance of overt versus relational aggression for girls with ADHD as well as disparities in findings according to informant sources.

Aggression↗

The utility of self-report measures and the continuous performance test in the diagnosis of ADHD in adults.

BACKGROUND: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) occurs in as many as 4 percent of adults yet it is often not recognized in clinical settings because the presenting symptoms may resemble those seen in other disorders or because symptoms may be masked by commonly comorbid conditions such as anxiety and depression. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic utility of instruments commonly used in the assessment of adults presenting with symptoms of ADHD. METHODS: We reviewed several widely used self-report and laboratory measures and empirically examined the utility of the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults (Brown ADD Scale) and the Conners Continuous Performance Test (CPT) in differentially identifying adults with ADHD and those with other Axis I disorders. RESULTS: Ninety-three adults who self-referred to the ADHD program for adults at a university medical center participated in the study. Of these, 44 had ADHD combined subtype (ADHD-CB), and 26 had ADHD, predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-IA). Thirty-three non-ADHD adults diagnosed with Axis I mood or anxiety disorders comprised an "Other Psychiatric" group. Rates of comorbid disorders, including substance abuse, in the ADHD groups were typical of those reported in the adult ADHD literature. Data on the Brown ADD Scale and on the CPT were available for subsets of 61 and 46 participants, respectively. Analyses showed that the ADHD-CB, ADHD-IA, and Other Psychiatric groups all received mean scores in the clinical range on the Brown ADD Scale, with a trend toward even higher elevations in the two ADHD groups. Among 12 CPT variables assessed for the three groups, the mean scores on only two variables for the ADHD-IA group were clinically elevated. Neither the Brown ADD Scale nor CPT scores evinced sufficient sensitivity and specificity to qualify them to assist in differential diagnosis of ADHD vis-a-vis other, predominantly internalizing, psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION: The results indicate a need for closer examination of executive and adaptive functioning in adults with ADHD compared with those with internalizing disorders in order to identify features that could assist in differential diagnosis.

Adult↗

Families of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: review and recommendations for future research.

This review integrates and critically evaluates what is known about family characteristics associated with childhood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Evidence suggests that the presence of ADHD in children is associated to varying degrees with disturbances in family and marital functioning, disrupted parent-child relationships, specific patterns of parental cognitions about child behavior and reduced parenting self-efficacy, and increased levels of parenting stress and parental psychopathology, particularly when ADHD is comorbid with conduct problems. However, the review reveals that little is known about the developmental mechanisms that underlie these associations, or the pathways through which child and family characteristics transact to exert their influences over time. In addition, the influence of factors such as gender, culture, and ADHD subtype on the association between ADHD and family factors remains largely unknown. We conclude with recommendations regarding the necessity for research that will inform a developmental psychopathology perspective of ADHD.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity↗

Lack of gender effects on subtype outcomes in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: support for the validity of subtypes.

The aim of the present study is to verify if gender modifies the clinical, adaptative and psychological outcomes of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes. We evaluated 219 clinically referred adult patients. The interviews followed the DSM-IV criteria,using the K-SADS-E for ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder and SCID-IV for comorbidities. Regression models were used to analyze gender and subtype main effects and interactions in psychiatric outcomes. In the initial sample, 117 patients (53.5%) were of the combined subtype, 88 (40%) were inattentives and 14 (6.5%) hyperactives. There were no significant interactions between gender and subtype in any variable assessed. Men and women did not differ in the relative frequency of each subtype. Patients of the combined subtype in both genders presented a higher severity and increased rates of conduct and ODD disorders than inattentives. The main effects of gender and subtype in this sample are similar to those previously reported in other countries, suggesting the cross-cultural equivalence of the phenotype. The absence of significant interactions between gender and subtype suggests that, at least in clinical-based samples, DSM-IV adult ADHD subtypes present cross-gender validity.

Adult↗

Multimethod assessment of psychopathology among DSM-IV subtypes of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: self-, parent, and teacher reports.

Using data based on self-, parent, and teacher reports, we assessed various aspects of psychopathology in a large sample of control children and those with ADHD. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to extract response bias from latent constructs of aggression, anxiety, attention problems, depression, conduct disorder, and hyperactivity. These latent constructs were then entered into logistic regression equations to predict membership in control versus ADHD groups, and to discriminate between ADHD subtypes. Results of the regression equations showed that higher levels of attention problems and aggression were the best predictors of membership in the ADHD group relative to controls. Logistic regression also indicated that a higher degree of aggression was the only significant predictor of membership in the ADHD-Combined group compared to the ADHD-Inattentive group. However, when comorbid diagnoses of Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder were controlled for in the logistic regression, greater hyperactivity rather than aggression was the sole variable with which to distinguish the ADHD-Combined from the ADHD-Inattentive subtype. Results are discussed in the context of the DSM-IV ADHD nosology and the role of instrument and source bias in the diagnosis of ADHD.

Aggression↗

Timing and force control in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: subtype differences and the effect of comorbid developmental coordination disorder.

This study examined the motor and performance outcomes of boys with subtypes of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (DSM-IV, [American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 4th ed., Washington, DC, 1994]). It also examined the differences between boys with a single diagnosis of ADHD versus those who have the dual categorisation of ADHD and developmental coordination disorder (DCD). The participants were 157 boys, aged 7.70-12.98 years recruited from a community sample. Parent report was used to classify 143 boys into either a comparison group or one of the three DSM-IV ADHD subtypes. Participants were given a battery of tests that included the Movement Assessment Battery for Children [Movement Assessment Battery for Children, Psychological Corporation/Harcourt Brace-Jovanovich, New York, 1992], the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children--Third Edition [Manual for the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Psychological Corporation, New York, 1992] and a finger tapping task targeting motor processing, preparation, and execution. Boys with subtypes that included inattentive symptomatology had significant difficulties with timing, force output and showed greater variability in motor outcomes. Boys with the comorbid condition (i.e., ADHD and DCD) had particular difficulty with force control. These outcomes identify a need for increased recognition of the clinical and research implications of the relationship between ADHD and motor dysfunction. This potentially impacts on assessment, intervention, theoretical modelling and the general interpretation of cognitive abilities research with children with ADHD.

Attention↗

Increased frequency of rolandic spikes in ADHD children.

PURPOSE: Some children with rolandic epilepsy have associated neuropsychiatric deficits resembling symptoms of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the most common neurobehavioral disorder of childhood. The clinical overlap between both syndromes has received relatively little attention. The study examines the frequency of rolandic spikes in nonepileptic children with ADHD and compares it with a historic control group of 3,726 normal school-aged children. ADHD patients with and without discharges are compared regarding age at admission, sex, global functioning, and distribution of ADHD subtypes. METHODS: The EEGs of 483 ADHD outpatients between 2 and 16 years meeting diagnostic criteria for ADHD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) were evaluated prospectively. If rolandic spikes were present, separate sleep EEGs were performed to exclude a bioelectrical status epilepticus during slow-wave sleep. RESULTS: Rolandic spikes were detected in the EEGs of 27 children (5.6%; 22 boys and five girls). Seizure rate during follow-up tended to be larger in children with rolandic spikes. No significant differences were found between ADHD patients with and without spikes regarding sex and global functioning. ADHD children with rolandic spikes came to our attention significantly earlier than did children without discharges and tended to exhibit more hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, evidenced in a larger proportion of the diagnosis of ADHD combined type than ADHD inattentive type. CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of rolandic spikes in children with ADHD is significantly higher than expected from epidemiologic studies. The question arises how ADHD symptoms are related to rolandic spikes in this ADHD subgroup. Possibly rolandic discharges or underlying, not fully understood mechanisms of epileptogenesis decrease the vulnerability threshold, advance the onset, or aggravate the course of ADHD.

Action Potentials↗

Should sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms be included in the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of including sluggish cognitive tempo items on the factor and latent class structure of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes in boys and girls. METHOD: Parent report of two sluggish cognitive tempo items on a population-based sample of 1430 female twins and 1414 male twins were analyzed along with parent report of the 18 DSM-IV ADHD items using principal components analysis and latent class analysis. RESULTS: The inclusion of the two sluggish cognitive tempo items resulted in distinct factor structures for boys and girls. For boys there were separate inattentive, hyperactive/impulsive, and sluggish factors. For girls there were separate inattentive/sluggish, hyperactive, and impulsive factors. In contrast, sluggish cognitive tempo items had minimal impact on the latent class structure of ADHD for both boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS: The inclusion of sluggish cognitive tempo items markedly changed ADHD symptom associations for boys and girls in a factor analytic framework. In contrast, latent class subtyping of ADHD shows limited impact of the inclusion of sluggish cognitive tempo items, emphasizing the very different assumptions about underlying continua of behavior rather than discrete classes that distinguish the two approaches.

Adolescent↗

Family-based and case-control association studies of catechol-O-methyltransferase in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder suggest genetic sexual dimorphism.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood-onset behavioral disorder. Boys are more often affected than girls. Family, twin, and adoption studies have supported a strong genetic basis. Some studies show that a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism affecting enzyme activity was associated with personality characteristics and diseases, such as novelty-seeking personality, substance abuse, and heroin addiction, whose features are similar to ADHD or are associated with ADHD. These findings suggest that the COMT gene may be a candidate gene for ADHD. TDT, HHRR, and case-control association studies were conducted within a sample of 202 nuclear ADHD families, 340 ADHD cases, and 226 controls in the Han Chinese population. Diagnoses and ADHD subtypes were ascertained according to DSM-IV criteria using American Clinical Diagnostic Interviewing Scales. The HHRR analysis suggested that the low enzyme-activity COMT Met allele was preferentially transmitted to ADHD boys (160 trios, chi(2) = 3.858, P = 0.05, df = 1) but not girls. This association is particularly pronounced among male ADHD probands without any comorbidity (50 trios, HHRR: chi(2) = 5.128, P = 0.024, df = 1; TDT: chi(2) = 4.558, P = 0.033, df = 1), especially the ADHD-I subtype (32 trios, HHRR: chi(2) = 5.792, P = 0.016, df = 1; TDT: chi(2) = 5.333, P = 0.021, df = 1). The case-control study revealed that the Val allele was more frequent in females meeting ICD-10 or DSM-IV criteria for ADHD than in female controls (86 and 79.5%, respectively, chi(2) = 4.059, P = 0.044, df = 1). Although these results suggest the COMT gene exerts some influence on the risk for ADHD in the Han Chinese population, given the potential for Type I error, these findings require replication before drawing definitive conclusions.

Adolescent↗

Social functioning and emotional regulation in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes.

Compared 16 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) combined type (ADHD-C), 14 children with ADHD predominantly inattentive type (ADHD-I), and 17 controls on parent and teacher ratings of social status and performance, self-report of social knowledge and performance, and observations of behavior on an emotional regulation task. Analyses revealed distinct patterns of social dysfunction between ADHD subgroups. Children with ADHD-C were rated as showing more aggressive behavior; furthermore, they displayed emotional dysregulation characterized by high intensity and high levels of both positive and negative behavior. In contrast, children with ADHD-I were perceived as displaying social passivity and showed deficits in social knowledge on the self-report measure but did not evidence problems in emotional regulation. Regression analyses revealed that social performance, emotional regulation, and, to a lesser degree, social knowledge, were predictive of social status. The application of these findings to understanding the nature of the social deficits in the ADHD subtypes and directions for future research are discussed.

Affect↗

[Formal genetic findings in attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder].

Twin, family and adoption studies have led to a solid understanding of the contribution of both genetic and environmental factors to the development of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We review recent studies under consideration of both methodological aspects and relevant findings. Heritability estimates in the range of 0.6 - 0.8 surpass those for most other child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. First degree relatives have elevated rates for ADHD, affective disorders, conduct disorders and substance abuse and dependency. The ADHD subtype of the index patient does not predict the subtype of other family members affected with ADHD; hence non-genetic factors seemingly account for this intrafamilial variability. Because the familial rates for ADHD are not higher in families of female in comparison to male index patients, there is no indication that the genetic loading is higher in affected females. Recently, rater effects have been discussed broadly: Whereas the heritability estimates are uniformly high independent of the informant (mother, father, teacher), the correlations between quantitatively rated symptoms are low between different informants. Knowledge of the formal genetic aspects of ADHD is a prerequisite for understanding the results of recent molecular genetic studies.

Adolescent↗

Gender differences among children with DSM-IV ADHD in Australia.

OBJECTIVE: To examine gender differences among children meeting symptom criteria for DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) identified in a nationally representative sample of Australian children. METHOD: From 2,404 children aged 6 to 13 years, 225 boys and 99 girls with ADHD symptoms were identified using the parent version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and compared on parent reports of children's behavioral problems and impairment. RESULTS: When ADHD types were collapsed into a single group, boys and girls did not differ on core symptoms, comorbidity, and impairment with the exception that girls rated higher on somatic complaints and boys had poorer school functioning. However, gender patterns were found to vary across ADHD type on impairment measures of social problems, schoolwork difficulties, and self-esteem, with boys being generally rated as more impaired in the combined and hyperactive-impulsive groups but equally or less impaired in the inattentive group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the possibility of gender-specific risks associated with high levels of inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms indicating that ADHD subtype membership should be considered when conducting ADHD gender comparisons.

Adolescent↗

Sleep and alertness in children with ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate sleep and alertness and to investigate the presence of possible underlying sleep/wake disorders in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: After 3 nights of adaptation in a room reserved for sleep studies in the department of child psychiatry, children underwent polysomnography (PSG) followed by the Multiple Sleep Latency Test (MSLT) and reaction time tests (RT) during the daytime. Thirty boys diagnosed as having ADHD (DSM-IV), aged between 5 and 10 years, and 22 age- and sex-matched controls participated in the study. All children were medication-free and showed no clinical signs of sleep and alertness problems. RESULTS: No significant differences in sleep variables were found between boys with ADHD and controls. The mean latency period was shorter in children with ADHD. Significant differences were found for MSLT 1, 2 and 3 (p < .05). Mean reaction time was longer in children with ADHD, with significant differences in all tests (p < .05). Number and duration of sleep onsets measured by the MSLT correlated significantly with the hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattentive-passivity indices of the CTRS and CPRS. CONCLUSION: Children with ADHD were more sleepy during the day, as shown by the MSLT, and they had longer reaction times. These differences are not due to alteration in the quality of nocturnal sleep. The number of daytime sleep onsets and the rapidity of sleep-onsets measured as MSLT were found to be pertinent physiological indices to discriminate between ADHD subtypes. These results suggest that children with ADHD have a deficit in alertness. Whether this deficit is primary or not requires further studies.

Adult↗