The Characteristics and Unique Impairments of Comorbid Adult ADHD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo: An Interim Analysis

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms and symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), executive function (EF), and emotional dyscontrol. A referred sample of adults (N = 87, age 18–57 years) was assessed for symptoms of ADHD using the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS), Barkley SCT scale, and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult version (BRIEF-A), and for symptoms of impairment using the Clinical Global Impressions scale and Barkley Functional Impairment Scale. Adults with SCT and ADHD had greater inattention and impairment than adults with ADHD only. Also, the group with both SCT and ADHD had higher self-reported ratings of EF on the BRIEF-A, which was not evident on the clinician ratings of EF on the AISRS. The results show that adults with comorbid SCT and ADHD have greater symptoms of inattention and higher levels of impairment in this preliminary analysis. [ Psychiatr Ann. 2019;49(10)457–465.]