RESUMEN
It is customary to acquire behavior ratings of children with ADHD from parents and teachers, but comparable informants are typically not available for adults. Self-rating is substituted. The present study presents self-ratings of ADHD and control adults on a 43-item scale. The groups differed significantly on all but 4 descriptors, and 3 sufficed to account for more than 50% of the variance, reflecting distractibility, impulsivity and lack of control of behavior, respectively. Discriminant analysis revealed 83% and 90% correct classification of ADHD and controls, respectively. The results support the usefulness of self-rating in adults with ADHD and corroborate the resemblance and continuity between childhood and adult ADHD.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/diagnóstico , Conducta/fisiología , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Humanos , Persona de Mediana Edad , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Índice de Severidad de la EnfermedadRESUMEN
Many adults with ADHD respond to stimulant therapy, but controlled medication assessments have not been reported. We administered an effortful working memory task in four half-day sessions, double blind, at methylphenidate levels of 0, 5, 10 and 20 mg. Dose-response curves were established individually. Fifteen of 17 patients displayed a favorable response to one or more levels of medication; that is, they achieved more correct responses and less variability than on placebo. Each dose level elicited optimal performance from some of the patients. Unlike monitoring by self-report, the objective medication assessment offers an expeditious approximation to the ultimate optimal dose, potentially saving the patient weeks on an ineffective and/or excessive dosage regime.
Asunto(s)
Trastorno por Déficit de Atención con Hiperactividad/tratamiento farmacológico , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/uso terapéutico , Aprendizaje por Asociación/efectos de los fármacos , Estimulantes del Sistema Nervioso Central/farmacología , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Humanos , Resultado del TratamientoRESUMEN
A clinic-referred population of 116 children with attentional problems was classified by DSM-III [attention deficit disorder (ADD)] with respect to inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The sample proved to subdivide into three groups: inattentive, impulsive, and hyperactive (HII), n = 60; inattentive and impulsive (II), n = 26; and inattentive (I), n = 30. The distinction between II and I resolves the confounding of impulsivity and inattention in previous studies of children who have ADD but are not hyperactive. The three groups were found to be similar in mean age, gender ratio, prevalence, and pattern of associated learning disabilities, family history of psychopathology, and probability of favorable response to methylphenidate. Group I differed from Groups HII and II in the frequency of externalizing relative to internalizing comorbid psychopathology. A group that is hyperactive and impulsive but not inattentive was not found. The preponderance of similarities in associated characteristics suggests that the three groups are differing clinical presentations of an ADD spectrum.