Comparison of Neuropsychological Functioning Between Adults With Early- and Late-Onset DSM-5 ADHD. Issue 1 (January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lin, Yu-Ju; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 24:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 29
• Page End: 40
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Subjects: ADHD -- DSM-5 -- age-of-onset -- neuropsychological functioning -- comorbidities; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054717730609
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective: We aimed to compare the visually dependent neuropsychological functioning among adults with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5 ) ADHD who recalled symptom onset by and after age 7 and non-ADHD controls.Method: We divided the participants, aged 17 to 40 years, into three groups—(a) ADHD, onset <7 years (early-onset, n = 142); (b) ADHD, onset between 7 and <12 years (late-onset, n = 41); (c) non-ADHD controls ( n = 148)—and compared their neuropsychological functioning, measured by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery.Results: Both ADHD groups had deficits in attention and signal detectability, spatial working memory, and short-term spatial memory, but only the early-onset group showed deficits in alertness, set-shifting, and planning after controlling for age, sex, and psychiatric comorbidities. There was no statistical difference between the two ADHD groups in neuropsychological functioning.Conclusion: DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing adult ADHD are not too lax regarding neuropsychological functioning.