Effects of comorbidity on executive functions among children with ADHD, finding trends

Abstract

There is still no basic overview about the effect of various types of comorbidity in executive functions due to two main reasons: (1) the type and number of comorbidities in ADHD is significantly varied, (2) EFs are very diverse and have different neuropsychological properties. Our objective was to determine the effect of comorbid disorders (number and type) on the performance in a wide range (seven) of executive functions in a sample of children with ADHD. Fifty-five male children aged seven to nine years with ADHD were divided into six groups: G1 = ADHD only (ADHD-O), G1 = Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), G3 = (anxiety/depressive disorder (ADD), G4 = ODD + ADD, G5 = ODD + learning disorder (LD), G6 = ODD + LD + conduct disorder (CD). The six groups exhibited different number of deficits in EFs; G1 showed only 1 deficit in contrast, G6 presented 11. Statistical analysis (ANOVA and logistic regression) identified three most affected EFs: Working memory, generation/classification of semantic categories, and inhibitory control. Alterations in EFs increased mainly in relation to the increase of the specific number and type of comorbidity. To date, no studies have addressed comorbidity from this perspective. A wide range approach of EF confirms the need to further study comorbidity in ADHD from a wide range/variety perspective and determine all possible combinations (number/type) to clarify its contribution to the complex neuropsychology functioning in ADHD.