[Relationship between self-reported ADHD symptoms and WAIS-IV performance].

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting adults.
• Cognitive impairments are common in adult ADHD, but their relationship with self-reported symptoms requires further investigation.
• Objective cognitive testing and self-report measures are both used in diagnosing ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between cognitive functions and self-reported ADHD symptoms in adults.
• To determine which self-reported symptom dimensions best predict cognitive performance.
• To assess the complementary roles of objective diagnostics and self-reports in adult ADHD assessment.

Main Methods:

• Cognitive functions were assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV (WAIS-IV) in 113 adult ADHD participants.
• Self-reported ADHD symptom severity was measured using the ADHS-E screening questionnaire.
• Correlational analyses and regression were used to explore relationships between cognitive scores and symptom ratings.

Main Results:

• Weak correlations were observed between overall self-reported ADHD symptoms and WAIS-IV performance.
• The "Emotion & Affect" subscale of the ADHS-E significantly predicted performance on most WAIS-IV indices.
• This specific symptom dimension emerged as the most crucial variable in explaining cognitive performance variations.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive performance in adult ADHD is weakly correlated with general self-reported symptoms.
• "Emotion & Affect" symptoms play a significant role in cognitive functioning, suggesting a nuanced approach to ADHD assessment.
• Integrating objective cognitive data with self-report measures, particularly those assessing emotional regulation, enhances the diagnostic process for adult ADHD.