Features Of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Research Articles

Proactive inhibitory control as a cognitive contributor to social difficulties in adolescents with ADHD traits

Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) represent a significantly heterogenous group in terms of cognitive and social ability. Given the high co-occurrence of ADHD and autism, it is unclear whether the social difficulties seen in ADHD may be attributed to the same underlying factors which contribute to social difficulties in autism, or are a unique feature of ADHD. This study explores differences in cognition in adolescents with clinically elevated ADHD symptoms with and without social difficulties, and adolescents with ADHD symptoms and autism. Thirty-nine adolescents completed objective measures of cognition (attention, working memory, inhibition) and social cognition (affect recognition, theory of mind [ToM]). Adolescents with ADHD symptoms and social difficulties had poorer proactive inhibition than both those without social difficulties, and those with autism. Lower cognitive performance was only significantly related to social functioning for adolescents with ADHD who experienced social difficulties. ToM was weakest in those with autism. Social difficulties in adolescents with clinically elevated ADHD symptoms are associated with poor proactive inhibition, working memory and affect recognition. This highlights the potential benefit of cognitive strategies for remediating social difficulties in ADHD, and the need for ADHD specific interventions. Lay abstract Around half of teenagers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant difficulties forming and maintaining friendships. This in turn often has negative effects on schooling and mental health. There is a large body of research that suggests the social difficulties commonly seen in ADHD may be due to weaknesses in skills such as impulse control, working memory, recognising emotions, and perspective taking. Given teenagers with autism often present with similar weaknesses and social difficulties, it is not known whether the social difficulties experienced by teenagers with ADHD have the same underlying causes. If so, this may suggest that social difficulties in ADHD represent undiagnosed autism, or low-level autism traits. This study compared these key skills in teenagers with clinical ADHD symptoms who experience social difficulties, with those who don’t experience social difficulties, and those with co-occurring autism. The results showed that social difficulties in ADHD and autism appear to have different underlying causes, suggesting that the social difficulties seen in teenagers with ADHD are unique to this disorder, and are not due to underlying autism, or autism traits. This highlights the need for social skills interventions, particularly those that target impulse control, emotion recognition and working memory, that are specifically tailored to the needs and weaknesses of teenagers with ADHD, rather than using existing interventions designed for teenagers with autism.

Functional connectivity in ADHD children doing Go/No-Go tasks: An fMRI systematic review and meta-analysis.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in childhood. Two common features of ADHD are impaired behavioural inhibition and sustained attention. The Go/No-Go experimental paradigm with concurrent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning has previously revealed important neurobiological correlates of ADHD such as the supplementary motor area and the prefrontal cortex. The coordinate-based meta-analysis combined with quantitative techniques, such as activation likelihood estimate (ALE) generation, provides an unbiased and objective method of summarising these data to understand the brain network architecture and connectivity in ADHD children. Go/No-Go task-based fMRI studies involving children and adolescent subjects were selected. Coordinates indicating foci of activation were collected to generate ALEs using threshold values (voxel-level: p < 0.001; cluster-level: p < 0.05). ALEs were matched to one of seven canonical brain networks based on the cortical parcellation scheme derived from the Human Connectome Project. Fourteen studies involving 457 children met the eligibility criteria. No significant convergence of Go/No-Go related brain activation was found for ADHD groups. Three significant ALE clusters were detected for brain activation relating to controls or ADHD < controls. Significant clusters were related to specific areas of the default mode network (DMN). Network-based analysis revealed less extensive DMN, dorsal attention network, and limbic network activation in ADHD children compared to controls. The presence of significant ALE clusters may be due to reduced homogeneity in the selected sample demographic and experimental paradigm. Further investigations regarding hemispheric asymmetry in ADHD subjects would be beneficial.

34 Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Emotion Regulation, and Executive Functioning Associated with Educational and Occupational Outcomes in Adults

Objective:While attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, including inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, are normally distributed within the population, features of ADHD have been associated with poor functional outcomes across various domains of life, such as academic achievement and occupational status. However, some individuals with even strong ADHD features show normal or above-average success within these functional domains. Executive dysfunction and emotion regulation abilities are associated with educational attainment and occupational status and may therefore explain some of the heterogeneity in functional outcomes in individuals with mild, moderate, and high levels of ADHD symptoms. In this study, we investigated whether emotion regulation strategy use (i.e., emotion suppression or cognitive reappraisal) and executive function abilities moderate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and occupational status and education attainment in adults.Participants and Methods:Data were collected from 109 adults aged 18 - 85 (M = 38.08, SD = 15.54; 70.6% female) from the Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample. All participants completed measures of ADHD symptoms (Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale), emotion regulation strategy use (Emotion Regulation Questionnaire), and executive functioning (composite scores of inhibition, shifting and fluency from the standardized Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System). In this study, executive function abilities and emotion regulation strategy use were tested as potential moderators of the relationship between ADHD symptoms and functional outcomes using hierarchical regression models.Results:Several two- and three-way interactions predicting occupational status and educational attainment were observed. Education attainment was predicted by hyperactivity and reappraisal (ß = -0.26, p = .006); inattention, shifting, and reappraisal (ß = -0.52, p = .029); inattention, shifting, and suppression (ß = -0.40, p = .049); inattention, fluency, and reappraisal (ß = 0.24, p = .038); hyperactivity, fluency, and reappraisal (ß = 0.27, p = .034); and impulsivity, fluency, and reappraisal (ß = 0.44, p = .004). Occupational status was predicted by inattention and reappraisal, (ß = -0.27, p = .032), hyperactivity and reappraisal (ß = -0.26, p = .004); and impulsivity, fluency, and reappraisal (ß = 0.35, p = .031). Fluency was positively associated with educational attainment when controlling for inattention and impulsivity.Conclusions:Consistent with the hypothesis, the association between ADHD symptoms and both occupational status and educational attainment were moderated by the interaction between emotion regulation strategy use, executive function abilities domains. The observed interactions suggest that both occupational status and educational attainment may depend heavily on one’s intrinsic abilities and traits. Contrary to previous literature, we found no evidence that ADHD symptoms, emotional regulation strategies were independently associated with either educational attainment or occupational status, but this should be validated in a sample with greater representation of adults with clinically significant ADHD.

B - 24 Neuropsychological Profile of a Child with ASD, ADHD, and Psychotic Features.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and psychotic traits, although highly comorbid, have rarely been studied in children. Existing research indicates that impulsivity, comprehension difficulties, and inflexibility are overlapping symptoms within the ASD and ADHD populations. Adult research shows high comorbidity estimates between ASD and psychosis. Here we describe the neuropsychological profile of a 14-year-old boy with diagnoses of ASD and ADHD with psychotic features. We highlight the value of comprehensive and flexible neuropsychological assessment while integrating detailed testing, behavioral observations, and collateral report. Medical history of this child included late-term and breech birth with his first Apgar score at expected level and his second score falling below expected level. Delayed acquisition of developmental milestones, learning difficulties, speech difficulties, anxiety, and hyperactivity, were reported. Auditory hallucinations triggered by stress were observed during evaluation. Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation requires nonstandard exploration of cognitive domains and time-limited testing sessions to acquire robust estimates of functioning. Overall cognitive abilities were in the borderline range with highly variable academic performances (extremely low to average). All performances were grossly below age level and were significantly impacted by auditory hallucinations but were consistent with the diagnoses of ASD and ADHD. This case of a boy with ASD, ADHD, and auditory hallucinations demonstrates the diagnostic overlap among these conditions and the necessity for flexible neuropsychological testing, detailed behavioral observations and caregiver report in the assessment of overlapping clinical features. Multiple sources of data are required to identify patterns in symptomatology to inform differential diagnosis and comorbidities.

Cognitive-attentional mechanisms of cooperation-with implications for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and cognitive neuroscience.

People's cooperativeness depends on many factors, such as their motives, cognition, experiences, and the situation they are in. To date, it is unclear how these factors interact and shape the decision to cooperate. We present a computational account of cooperation that not only provides insights for the design of effective incentive structures but also redefines neglected social-cognitive characteristics associated with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Leveraging game theory, we demonstrate that the source and magnitude of conflict between different motives affected the speed and frequency of cooperation. Integrating eye-tracking to measure motivation-based information processing during decision-making shows that participants' visual fixations on the gains of cooperation rather than its costs and risks predicted their cooperativeness on a trial-by-trial basis. Using Bayesian hierarchical modeling, we find that a situation's prosociality and participants' past experience each bias the decision-making process distinctively. ADHD characteristics explain individual differences in responsiveness across contexts, highlighting the clinical importance of experimentally studying reactivity in social interactions. We demonstrate how the use of eye-tracking and computational modeling can be used to experimentally investigate social-cognitive characteristics in clinical populations. We also discuss possible underlying neural mechanisms to be investigated in future studies.

Silver linings of ADHD: a thematic analysis of adults’ positive experiences with living with ADHD

ObjectivesTo identify and explore positive aspects of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as reported by adults with the diagnosis.DesignThe current study used a qualitative survey design including the written responses...

Illuminating the daily life experiences of adolescents with and without ADHD: protocol for an ecological momentary assessment study

IntroductionAdolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at elevated risk of a range of difficulties, among which emotion regulation, peer and co-occurring mental health problems are prominent challenges. To better support...

Ketogenic diet ameliorates attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in rats via regulating gut microbiota.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common mental behavioral disorder in children. Alterations in gut microbiota composition are associated with neurological disorders. We aimed to investigate whether a ketogenic diet (KD) can be an alternative therapy for ADHD by altering the gut microbiota. Male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were randomly allocated to the normal diet (ND), methylphenidate (MPH), and KD groups. SHR in groups KD and MPH exhibited a significant increase in behavioral characteristics of ADHD, such as distance moved and immobility time. KD and MPH treatment led to a significant elevation in concentrations of 5-HT, AC, cAMP, and NE of brain tissue and the expression of DRD1, DAT, PKA, DARPP32, and cAMP at the protein level in WKY rats and SHR. KD and MPH significantly increased the richness and diversity of gut microbiota in SHR. The abundance of Ruminococcus_gauvreauii_group, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Blautia significantly increased, whereas that of Lactobacillus, Romboutsia, Facklamia, and Turicibacter significantly declined in the KD group compared with the ND group. The gut microbiota in the KD group of SHR mainly participated in amino acid metabolism- and sugar metabolism-related pathways. KD might alleviate behavioral disorders in ADHD by regulating gut microbiota. This study provides novel insights for the use of KD in treating ADHD.

Effect of Mahapaishacika Ghrta in the Management of ADHD - Case Series

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorder. It is a neuro-developmental disorder characterized by problems in paying attention and hyperactivity–impulsivity which is inappropriate for the age of the child. Children with ADHD have been found to have Cognitive deficits, lower IQ, Impaired social relationships with in the family and with peers as well as poor study skills and lower academic achievement. The disease most commonly affects the children of age group 6 to 12. Despite being most commonly studied and diagnosed mental disorder in children, the cause is yet not known in majority cases. W.H.O. (World Health Organization) estimated that it affected 39 million people as of 2013. ADHD prevalence is estimated to be 5% for the Indian pediatric population. 5 to 7% children are getting affected with similar rates in various countries. It is found more commonly in boys than in girls (ratio 3:1). In Ayurveda, disorders related to psychiatric and behavioral disturbances are discussed under the chapter of Unmada. The cardinal features of ADHD resemble features of Vata-pitta predominant Unmada. This disorder affects mind as well as body because of having Adhishṭhana in both Sharīra and Mana. Five diagnosed cases of ADHD from OPD of Manassanthi, Vaidyaratnam P S Varier Ayurveda College, Kottakkal, were given Mahapaishacika Ghrta in a dose of 10ml twice daily 1 hour after food for 1 month period. Severity of symptoms was assessed by using Conner’s Revised Rating Scale on 0th day, 16th day, 31st day and after 15 days. There was a significant improvement in the Conner’s Revised Rating Scale after Ayurvedic management and follow up.

The contribution of sleep and co-occurring neurodevelopmental conditions to quality of life in children with epilepsy

BackgroundHealth-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children with epilepsy (CWE) is multifactorial and can be affected not only by epilepsy-specific variables but also co-occurring conditions such as sleep disturbances, autism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While highly prevalent in CWE, these conditions are underdiagnosed despite having a significant impact on HRQOL. Sleep problems have a complex relationship with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental characteristics. However, little is known about how these issues interact and contribute to HRQOL. ObjectivesThe current study aims to explore the relationship between sleep and neurodevelopmental characteristics on HRQOL in CWE. Methods36 CWE aged 4–16 years old were recruited from two hospitals and asked to wear an actiwatch for a period of 14 days and caregivers completed a series of questionnaires assessing co-occurrences and epilepsy-specific variables. ResultsA high proportion of CWE (78.13%) presented significant sleep problems. Informant-reported sleep problems were significantly predictive of HRQOL above seizure severity and the number of antiseizure medications. Interestingly, informant-reported sleep problems were no longer significantly predictive of HRQOL when neurodevelopmental characteristics were considered, indicating a possible mediating effect. Similarly, actigraphy-defined sleep (variability in sleep onset latency) displayed a similar effect but only for ADHD characteristics, whereas autistic characteristics and variability in sleep onset latency continued to exert an individual effect on HRQOL. ConclusionThese data from our study shed light on the complicated relationship between sleep, neurodevelopmental characteristics and epilepsy. Findings suggest that the impact of sleep on HRQOL in CWE is possibly mediated by neurodevelopmental characteristics. Furthermore, the impact this triangular relationship exerts on HRQOL is dependent on the type of tool used to measure sleep. These findings highlight the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to epilepsy management.

Potential Mechanisms Underlying Suicidality in Autistic People with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Testing Hypotheses from the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide.

Autistic people with co-occurring attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to be at heightened risk of suicide. To understand why, we explored two explanatory mechanisms from the interpersonal theory of suicide: first, that co-occurring ADHD might be associated with greater risk through greater thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness and, secondly, that hyperactive/impulsive features might incur additional risk through their association with painful and provocative events, which are suggested to create "capability" for suicide. Autistic adults (n = 314) completed an online survey including measures of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, painful and provocative events, acquired capability for suicide, and ADHD features. Creating an overall index of likely ADHD, we examined associations between likely ADHD, suicide ideation, and lifetime suicide attempts through the parallel mediators of thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, anxiety, and depression. In several models, we then examined hyperactive, impulsive, and inattentive features as predictors of exposure to painful and provocative events and subsequent capability for suicide, and examined whether these two variables, sequentially or individually, mediated an association with lifetime suicide attempts. Likely ADHD was associated with past-year suicide ideation through greater depression and perceived burdensomeness, which also mediated its association with more suicide attempts. Hyperactive and impulsive features were associated with exposure to painful and provocative events and through this acquired suicide capability. Both features were associated with more numerous suicide attempts through these two mediators sequentially, and through exposure to painful and provocative events alone. These data suggest that suicidality in autistic people with ADHD may be partially related to perceived burdensomeness and to acquired suicide capability after exposure to painful and provocative events. However, as we observed a pathway to suicidality associated with painful and provocative events alone, it is likely that there are also other explanatory mechanisms for the influence of traumatic events on suicide risk.

Investigating ADHD and ASD features in dementia patients referred to a memory clinic in Iran

AbstractBackgroundDementia is a clinical syndrome characterized by a progressive cognitive decline interfering with the function of activity of daily living in patients (1). Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are two prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders affecting different brain functions manifesting mostly with impaired communication and behavior (3). These disorders initiate in childhood but usually persist into adulthood (3, 4). These disorders might overlap with dementia symptoms, as they might share common genetic and environmental backgrounds (5‐7). ASD and ADHD in dementia patients may complicate the timely diagnosis of each disorder leading to more pronounced dysfunction. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate ASD and ADHD symptoms in dementia patients referred to a memory clinic in Iran.MethodWe recruited 65 dementia patients in this study. Firstly, a cognitive neurologist diagnosed dementia’s subtypes by a precise clinical examination, cognitive assessment by applying the Montreal cognitive Assessment (MoCA). The severity of dementia was determined using the Functional Assessment Staging Tool (FAST). Consequently, we instructed the participants to fill out the autism quotient (AQ) and the Conners' Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) questionnaires for investigating their ASD and ADHD symptoms.ResultConsidering the cut‐off points of AQ and CAARS questionnaires, 18.5% of participants were diagnosed with ASD, and 35.4% were diagnosed with ADHD. Besides, we found a significant positive relationship between all subscales of CAARS and the FAST score (P &lt; 0.05). In other words, patients with more severe dementia were more likely to have increased ADHD symptoms.ConclusionThe results indicated that ADHD and ASD symptoms might be common manifestations in patients with dementia. This finding was in line with the previous research findings regarding the high co‐occurrence of ADHD and dementia (8). This comorbidity can further prohibit function and further worsen the prognosis. Given that there is scarce evidence on the association between ADHD and dementia in Iran, the findings of this study can pave the way for future research to elaborate more precisely on the etiological backgrounds of this association.

Reduced Visual Evoked Potential Amplitude in Autistic Children with Co-Occurring Features of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Provided the significant overlap in features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), there is a critical need to identify transdiagnostic markers that could meaningfully stratify subgroups. The objective of this study was to compare the visual evoked potential (VEP) between 30 autistic children, 17 autistic children with co-occurring ADHD presentation (ASD + ADHD), and 21 neurotypical children (NTC). Electroencephalography was recorded while children passively viewed a pattern-reversal stimulus. Mean amplitude of the P1 event-related potential was extracted from a midline occipital channel and compared between groups. P1 mean amplitude was reduced in the ASD + ADHD group compared to the ASD and NTC groups, indicating a distinct pattern of brain activity in autistic children with co-occurring ADHD features.

0227 Impact of 5-night sleep restriction on actigraphy-estimated sleep in young adolescents: preliminary associations with ADHD traits

Abstract Introduction Prior research suggests that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) may experience disrupted sleep. In typically developing children, short-term sleep restriction increases sleep pressure and efficiency; however, whether a similar homeostatic response occurs in children with ADHD is unknown. Here we explore the effects of 5 nights of experimental sleep restriction on actigraphy-estimated sleep of children with and without high ADHD characteristics. Methods Nineteen young adolescents (Mage=12.24yr, range 10.17-13.88yr; 10F/9M) participated in an at-home crossover protocol. After ≥5 nights of stabilization (10hr time-in-bed[TIB] set to habitual risetimes), participants had five nights of sleep optimization (SO; same stabilization schedule) or restriction (SR; 7.5hr TIB, sleep opportunity reduced by delaying bedtime and advancing risetime equally), a 2-3 night restabilization, and then the reverse schedule. Sleep was assessed via wrist-worn actigraphy (AMI Micro Motionlogger), sleep diaries, and twice-daily phone calls ensuring schedule adherence. Primary sleep variables included: total sleep time (TST; min), sleep period time (SPT; min), and sleep efficiency (TST/SPT*100). Children were grouped by parent-rated Conners 3 ADHD-Probability-Index: &amp;lt; 50% (low-ADHD; n=10, 8F) or &amp;gt;=50% (high-ADHD; n=9, 2F). Results Mixed-effects ANOVAs evaluating condition (SO vs. SR) and group (low- vs. high-ADHD) on schedule adherence indicated significant effects of condition; that is, SR reduced both SPT (M±SD SO=9.08[0.54]hr, SR=7.10[0.57]hr; F(1,17)=479.75, p&amp;lt;.001, ηp2=.97) and TST (M±SD SO=7.92[0.97]hr, SR=6.38[0.86]hr; F(1,17)=302.13, p&amp;lt;.001, ηp2=.95). No group or group-by-condition effects were significant (all ps&amp;gt;.21). For sleep efficiency, a group-x-condition interaction (F(1,17)=8.29, p=.01, ηp2=.33) revealed that SR significantly increased sleep efficiency in low-ADHD children (M±SD SO=85.08[9.95]%, SR=89.74[7.66]%, Bonferroni-p&amp;lt;.001) but not in high-ADHD children (M±SD SO=90.67[3.74]%, SR=91.21[3.19]%, Bonferroni-p=.61). Other between-group effects were not significant (all ps&amp;gt;.12). Conclusion These preliminary data indicate that our sleep restriction protocol successfully reduces sleep opportunity and sleep duration in peripubertal children, including those with high ADHD traits. Notably, sleep restriction improved sleep efficiency in low-ADHD children, whereas sleep efficiency was high and unchanging in our high-ADHD group. It is possible that high-ADHD children maintained higher sleep pressure even after stabilization. While data collection (matching groups on sex and age) continues, we are examining waking EEG markers to explore this possibility. Support (if any) R01HD103655, P20GM139743

Genetic Overlap Between Midfrontal Theta Signals and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Longitudinal Twin Cohort

BackgroundCognitive control has been strongly linked to midfrontal theta (4–8 Hz) brain activity. Such control processes are known to be impaired in individuals with psychiatric conditions and neurodevelopmental diagnoses, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Temporal variability in theta, in particular, has been associated with ADHD, with shared genetic variance underlying the relationship. Here, we investigated the phenotypic and genetic relationships between theta phase variability, theta-related signals (the N2, error-related negativity, and error positivity), reaction time, and ADHD and ASD longitudinally in a large twin study of young adults to investigate the stability of the genetic relationships between these measures over time. MethodsGenetic multivariate liability threshold models were run on a longitudinal sample of 566 participants (283 twin pairs). Characteristics of ADHD and ASD were measured in childhood and young adulthood, while an electroencephalogram was recorded in young adulthood during an arrow flanker task. ResultsCross-trial theta phase variability in adulthood showed large positive phenotypic and genetic relationships with reaction time variability and both childhood and adult ADHD characteristics. Error positivity amplitude was negatively related phenotypically and genetically to ADHD and ASD at both time points. ConclusionsWe showed significant genetic associations between variability in theta signaling and ADHD. A novel finding from the current study is that these relationships were stable across time, indicating a core dysregulation of the temporal coordination of control processes in ADHD that persists in individuals with childhood symptoms. Error processing, indexed by the error positivity, was altered in both ADHD and ASD, with a strong genetic contribution.

ADHD genetic burden associates with older epigenetic age: mediating roles of education, behavioral and sociodemographic factors among older adults

BackgroundShortened lifespans are associated with having Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which is likely mediated by related behavioral and sociodemographic factors that are also associated with accelerated physiological aging. Such factors include exhibiting more depressive symptoms, more cigarette smoking, higher body mass index, lower educational attainment, lower income in adulthood, and more challenges with cognitive processes compared to the general population. A higher polygenic score for ADHD (ADHD-PGS) is associated with having more characteristic features of ADHD. The degree to which (1) the ADHD-PGS associates with an epigenetic biomarker developed to predict accelerated aging and earlier mortality is unknown, as are whether (2) an association would be mediated by behavioral and sociodemographic correlates of ADHD, or (3) an association would be mediated first by educational attainment, then by behavioral and sociodemographic correlates. We evaluated these relationships in a population-based sample from the US Health and Retirement Study, among N = 2311 adults age 50 and older, of European-ancestry, with blood-based epigenetic and genetic data. The ADHD-PGS was calculated from a prior genomewide meta-analysis. Epigenome-wide DNA methylation levels that index biological aging and earlier age of mortality were quantified by a blood-based biomarker called GrimAge. We used a structural equation modeling approach to test associations with single and multi-mediation effects of behavioral and contextual indicators on GrimAge, adjusted for covariates.ResultsThe ADHD-PGS was significantly and directly associated with GrimAge when adjusting for covariates. In single mediation models, the effect of the ADHD-PGS on GrimAge was partially mediated via smoking, depressive symptoms, and education. In multi-mediation models, the effect of the ADHD-PGS on GrimAge was mediated first through education, then smoking, depressive symptoms, BMI, and income.ConclusionsFindings have implications for geroscience research in elucidating lifecourse pathways through which ADHD genetic burden and symptoms can alter risks for accelerated aging and shortened lifespans, when indexed by an epigenetic biomarker. More education appears to play a central role in attenuating negative effects on epigenetic aging from behavioral and sociodemographic risk factors related to ADHD. We discuss implications for the potential behavioral and sociodemographic mediators that may attenuate negative biological system effects.

Features of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and antisocial behaviour in a general population-based sample of adults.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is known to be a risk factor for antisocial and delinquent behaviour, but there is still a lack of information on how features of ADHD relate to offending behaviour among adults not already defined by their offending. Our aim was to add to knowledge about relationships between ADHD and antisocial behaviour among adults in the general population by answering the following questions: (A) Does the level of self-reported ADHD features relate to criminal and non-criminal antisocial behaviour? (B) To what extent are self-ratings of ADHD features independent of socio-demographic features previously identified as predictors of antisocial behaviour? A sample of adults was originally recruited to study public response to the COVID-19 outbreak through an online panel to be representative of the Israeli population. Among other scales, the 2025 participants completed an ADHD self-report scale, an antisocial behaviour self-report scale and a socio-demographic questionnaire probing for age, gender, urbanity, place of birth, socioeconomic status (education and income), family status (being in a relationship and having children) and religiosity. Higher mean totals for the inattention and hyperactivity ADHD scale scores were associated with higher mean antisocial behaviour scores. These relationships were only slightly affected by socio-demographic variables, including sex, age, education and income. Our findings suggest that not only may features of ADHD, even below a diagnostic threshold, constitute a risk factor for antisocial behaviour, but also that the self-rated levels of these problems covary. These findings are important for informing the early detection of risk of antisocial behaviour in the general population and its prevention.

Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Dietary Zinc Deficiency: A Status Report.

Zinc is a tightly regulated trace mineral element playing critical roles in growth, immunity, neurodevelopment, and synaptic and hormonal signaling. Although severe dietary zinc deficiency is relatively uncommon in the United States, dietary zinc deficiency is a substantial public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. Zinc status may be a key determinant of neurodevelopmental processes. Indeed, limited cohort studies have shown that serum zinc is lower in people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and depression. These observations have sparked multiple studies investigating the mechanisms underlying zinc status and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Animal models of perinatal and adult dietary zinc restriction yield distinct behavioral phenotypes reminiscent of features of ASD, ADHD, and depression, including increased anxiety and immobility, repetitive behaviors, and altered social behaviors. At the cellular and molecular level, zinc has demonstrated roles in neurogenesis, regulation of cellular redox status, transcription factor trafficking, synaptogenesis, and the regulation of synaptic architecture via the Shank family of scaffolding proteins. Although mechanistic questions remain, the current evidence suggests that zinc status is important for adequate neuronal development and may be a yet overlooked factor in the pathogenesis of several psychiatric conditions. This review aims to summarize current knowledge of the role of zinc in the neurophysiology of the perinatal period, the many cellular targets of zinc in the developing brain, and the potential consequences of alterations in zinc homeostasis in early life.

Psychosis Induced by Methylphenidate in Children and Young Patients With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed in children of this era. ADHD in children and adults is challenging but highly manageable. Children with ADHD cannot focus, are hyperactive, and appear withdrawn. These symptoms make them endure difficulties in learning and create academic challenges. Methylphenidate (MPH) is one of the psychostimulants used as a first-line therapy for ADHD. In this literature review, we have gathered information that describes the evidence of psychotic symptoms in children and young patients with ADHD as a side effect of MPH. We used articles from the National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Google Scholar to gather the relevant information. Our findings concluded that MPH can increase the risk of psychosis, particularly when taken in high doses. It is still unclear whether the psychotic range of symptoms occurred due to an increased dopamine(DA) level caused by MPHor as a predominant feature of ADHDor if there was another comorbid feature in the history of the patient that led to psychosis. However, a necessary step for every medical practitioner prescribing psychostimulants is that they enlighten the patient and caregiver that this rarebut threateningside effect is a possibility.

Attention-deficit hyperactivity symptoms and risk of alcohol use relapse.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is frequently accompanied by comorbid attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Comorbid ADHD has been reported to increase the severity of AUD. We investigated whether ADHD severity also influences AUD relapse risk at baseline and after inpatient treatment. In this study, 187 AUD patients admitted to Narimasu Kosei Hospital from October 2019 to March 2021 were included in the analysis. According to the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS), participants were divided into two groups: ASRS+ with ADHD characteristics (n=43) and ASRS- with low/no ADHD characteristics (n=144). Groups were compared for AUD relapse risk at the start of treatment (baseline) and before hospital discharge using the multidimensional Alcohol Relapse Risk Scale (ARRS). The change in relapse risk during hospitalization was also compared by assessment of the interaction between groups (ASRS+ vs. ASRS-) and time (at discharge vs. baseline). The total ARRS score and dimension subscores for stimulus-induced vulnerability and emotionality problems were significantly higher in the ASRS+ group at baseline and before discharge compared to the ASRS- group. There was a significant group × time interaction indicating less improvement of stimulus-induced vulnerability during inpatient treatment among the ASRS+ group compared to the ASRS- group. Our findings suggest that AUD patients with ADHD characteristics have a higher risk of relapse both at baseline and after inpatient treatment. Stimulus-induced vulnerability to relapse is less likely to improve with treatment in patients with ADHD characteristics.