Early Life Neurodevelopmental Indicators of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder at Age 10: A Prospective Cohort...

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental disorders
• Child psychology
• Genetics

Background:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with lasting negative effects.
• Diagnosis of ADHD is often delayed, missing opportunities for early intervention.
• Existing research often lacks objective early-life assessments, relying on less precise data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between early neurodevelopmental measures (birth to age 3) and later ADHD diagnosis and traits at age 10.
• To explore the utility of early objective assessments for predicting ADHD risk.
• To examine the role of polygenic risk scores in early neurodevelopment and ADHD outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the prospective COPSAC2010 birth cohort, including 590 children.
• Collected objective neurodevelopmental measures from birth to age 3.
• Analyzed associations using logistic and linear regression models, incorporating ADHD polygenic risk scores.

Main Results:

• Children diagnosed with ADHD at age 10 showed significantly lower word production and shorter sentence length in early life.
• Reduced cognitive functioning and increased behavioral/emotional problems in early childhood were also associated with later ADHD diagnosis.
• ADHD polygenic risk scores were examined in relation to early neurodevelopment and later ADHD outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Difficulties in early language, cognitive skills, and behavior/emotions can serve as crucial indicators for later ADHD.
• These findings support the potential for earlier identification of children at risk for ADHD.
• Objective early-life assessments are valuable for predicting neurodevelopmental disorder outcomes.