A Retrospective Survey of Childhood ADHD Symptomatology Among Adult Narcoleptics. (October 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Modestino, Edward J.; Winchester, Jeanna
• Is Part Of: Journal of attention disorders. Volume 17:Number 7(2013)
• Page Start: 574
• Page End: 582
• Publication Date: 2013-10
• Subjects: ADHD -- narcolepsy -- hypersomnia -- comorbidity -- WURS; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder -- Periodicals; Attention -- Periodicals; 616.8589
• DOI: 10.1177/1087054713480033
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1087-0547

Abstract

Objective : This study examined the retrospective history of childhood ADHD symptomatology in an adult narcoleptic population (Narcolepsy Group [NG]: n = 161) compared with a control group (CG: n = 117).Method : Both groups completed the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), a retrospective self-report questionnaire indicating the presence of childhood ADHD symptomatology in adults.Results : Childhood ADHD symptoms were significantly greater in NG than CG ( p < .001). Joint prevalence calculations of childhood ADHD symptomatology in NG were more than 8 to 15 times greater than expected. Among NG, those individuals with a greater score on the WURS, indicative of childhood ADHD symptomatology, also had shorter sleep onsets on the Multiple Sleep Latency Test, a common objective measure of sleepiness, t (97) = −7.11, p < .05.Conclusion : It appears that self-reported childhood ADHD symptomatology history among adult narcoleptics is common. Future research is warranted with adult narcoleptics to elucidate the true nature of this.