Circadian activity rhythm in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. (August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tonetti, Lorenzo; Conca, Andreas; Giupponi, Giancarlo; Filardi, Marco; Natale, Vincenzo
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychiatric research. Volume 103(2018)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 4
• Publication Date: 2018-08
• Subjects: Actigraphy -- Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Circadian rhythms -- Functional linear modeling -- Motor activity; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Mental Disorders -- Periodicals; Maladies mentales -- Périodiques; Psychiatry; Electronic journals; Periodicals; 616.89005
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-3956

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to analyze the features of circadian motor activity rhythm of adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients, by means of functional linear modeling, within the theoretical framework of the two-process model of sleep regulation. Thirty-two ADHD patients and 32 healthy controls (HCs) participated the study. Actiwatch AW64 actigraph was used to quantify motor activity data in 1-min epochs. Participants wore the actigraph on the non-dominant wrist for seven consecutive days. Results show that ADHD patients had significantly higher motor activity than HCs from 4:00 to 7:00, with a peak around 5:00, and from 12:00 to 18:00, with another peak around 14:00. According to the two-process model of sleep regulation, the circadian activity rhythm of ADHD patients may indicate a lower homeostatic sleep pressure, as reflected by the absence of post-lunch dip, which could be considered a potential trait marker of adult ADHD.