Is ADHD a risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)? Results from a large longitudinal study of referred children with and without ADHD. (January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Biederman, Joseph; Petty, Carter; Spencer, Thomas J.; Woodworth, K. Yvonne; Bhide, Pradeep; Zhu, Jinmin; Faraone, Stephen V.
• Is Part Of: World journal of biological psychiatry. Volume 15:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 49
• Page End: 55
• Publication Date: 2014-01
• Subjects: Biological psychiatry -- Periodicals; Biological Psychiatry -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2012.756585
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1562-2975

Abstract

<abstract> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Objectives.</italic> Preclinical studies link prenatal nicotine exposure with the development of both ADHD-like phenotype in rodents and blockade of extinction learning in a fear conditioning paradigm, a preclinical model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While these findings suggest that either ADHD, prenatal nicotine exposure, or both could be a risk factor for PTSD, such associations have not been investigated in humans. <italic>Methods.</italic> Subjects were ascertained from family-genetic, longitudinal studies of paediatrically and psychiatrically referred children with and without ADHD of both sexes and their siblings followed for 10 years from childhood into adulthood (<italic>n =</italic> 403 probands; <italic>n =</italic> 464 siblings; mean age at follow-up of probands and siblings = 22.0 years). All subjects were comprehensively evaluated with structured diagnostic interviews that included questions regarding prenatal use of cigarettes. <italic>Results.</italic> A total of 12% (104/867) of the sample had been exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy. There was no interaction effect between maternal smoking during pregnancy and ADHD (<italic>z =</italic> 0.01, <italic>P =</italic> 0.99). Maternal smoking during pregnancy and ADHD were independent, significant risk factors for PTSD at the 10-year follow-up (odds ratio = 3.58 [1.35, 9.48], <italic>z =</italic> 2.57, <italic>P =</italic> 0.01 and odds ratio = 2.23 [1.06, 4.69], <italic>z =</italic> 2.11, <italic>P =</italic> 0.04, respectively). <italic>Conclusions.</italic> These results suggest that both maternal smoking during pregnancy and ADHD are significant predictors of PTSD in humans.</p> </abstract>