Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
ADHD
Research on how inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity vary across development and settings.
Research question
How well do childhood symptoms and observations at home and school together predict everyday functioning in adulthood?
Findings
Symptoms across settings
NICE guidance includes developmental history and information on symptoms and functional impairment across settings in ADHD assessment.
Multisite genomic analysis
A genome-wide association analysis of 38,691 ADHD cases and 186,843 controls identified 27 genomic loci statistically associated with ADHD.
Eight-year follow-up of childhood symptoms
The US and Canadian multisite MTA follow-up included 436 participants enrolled in childhood with combined-type ADHD. Their symptom trajectories over the first three years were associated with several measures of later functioning.
Group differences in subcortical structures
A cross-sectional ENIGMA analysis of 1,713 people with ADHD and 1,529 controls from 23 cohorts found small differences in mean volume in several subcortical structures, including the amygdala and hippocampus.
Longitudinal test of a cortical development hypothesis
An ABCD analysis used 26,496 MRI scans from 11,025 participants. The association between parent-reported attention problems and cortical thickness changes weakened substantially after accounting for sex differences in developmental trajectories, with statistically inconclusive results in each sex separately.
Classroom behavior and learning new material
In a randomized crossover trial, 173 children with ADHD aged 7–12 attended two 3-week summer classroom units. Seatwork productivity and classroom behavior improved during methylphenidate periods. Gains in the taught subject matter and vocabulary were similar during medication and placebo periods. The outcomes cover short-term learning in small-group summer classes.
School-entry cutoff and recorded ADHD diagnoses
A US insurance claims study included 407,846 children. In states with a September 1 school-entry cutoff, recorded ADHD diagnosis rates were 85.1 per 10,000 children born in August and 63.6 per 10,000 born in September, a difference of 21.5 per 10,000 (95% CI 8.8–34.0). The comparison used diagnoses recorded in claims.
Limitations
The genomic study estimates group-level associations. Applying its findings to populations with other genetic ancestries requires separate validation.
Original sources
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: diagnosis and management (NG87)
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
Genome-wide analyses of ADHD identify 27 risk loci, refine the genetic architecture and implicate several cognitive domains
Ditte Demontis et al.
The MTA at 8 years: prospective follow-up of children treated for combined-type ADHD in a multisite study
Brooke S. G. Molina et al.
Subcortical brain volume differences in participants with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adults: a cross-sectional mega-analysis
Martine Hoogman et al.
Attention problems and cortical maturation in a large longitudinal sample of youths: The importance of accounting for sex differences
Shannon D. O’Connor et al.
The effect of stimulant medication on the learning of academic curricula in children with ADHD: A randomized crossover study
William E. Pelham et al.
Attention Deficit–Hyperactivity Disorder and Month of School Enrollment
Timothy J. Layton et al.