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Comparison of ADHD symptom subtypes as source-specific syndromes
Kenneth D Gadow1, Deborah A G Drabick, Jan Loney
1Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-8790, USA. Kenneth.Gadow@Stonybrook.edu
Summary
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes show distinct social and cognitive impairments. Combined and hyperactive-impulsive subtypes experienced greater overall impairment than the inattentive subtype.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Examines three subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): inattentive (I), hyperactive-impulsive (H), and combined (C).
- Focuses on a heterogeneous sample of 248 boys (ages 6-10) with emotional and behavioral problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differential social and cognitive functioning across ADHD subtypes.
- To compare ADHD subtypes with a non-ADHD clinical control group.
Main Methods:
- Utilized extensive evaluations including cognitive, behavioral, academic, and family functioning assessments.
- Defined ADHD subtypes based on teacher-only, mother-only, and combined mother/teacher ratings of DSM-IV symptoms.
Main Results:
- ADHD subtypes exhibited distinct patterns of social impairment (H, C > I) and cognitive impairment (I, C > H).
- The combined (C) and hyperactive-impulsive (H) groups showed the highest and lowest overall impairment, respectively.
- All subtypes differed from the non-ADHD control group, though findings varied based on subtype definition.
Conclusions:
- Mothers and teachers may interpret ADHD symptoms based on behaviors most relevant to their daily concerns.
- The mother/teacher grouping strategy identified more subtype differences but also obscured some findings.