Sensation Seeking and Cocaine Dependence in Adults With Reported Childhood ADHD. (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ballon, Nicolas; Brunault, Paul; Cortese, Samuele
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 19:Number 4(2015:Apr.)
• Page Start: 335
• Page End: 342
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: substance use disorders -- cocaine -- ADHD -- sensation seeking; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054714543651
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: To compare measures of sensation seeking in a clinical group of cocaine-dependent (CD) patients with and without a history of probable childhood ADHD and in non-cocaine-dependent (NCD) healthy volunteers.Method: Patients ( n = 75; 42 with and 33 without probable childhood ADHD) and comparisons ( n = 84) were assessed with the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies, the Wender Utah Rating Scale for childhood ADHD, and the Zuckerman Seeking Sensation Scale.Results: We found significantly higher prevalence rates of probable childhood ADHD in CD versus NCD ( p < .001). The mean total scores of sensation seeking were significantly higher in CD versus NCD participants ( p < .001) as well as in CD patients with versus those without a probable history of childhood ADHD ( p < .001).Conclusion: Our study sets the basis for longitudinal investigation assessing whether the persistence of high level of sensation seeking in adults with childhood ADHD contributes to the transition to cocaine dependence.