Neuropsychological performance in DSM-IV ADHD subtypes: an exploratory study with untreated adolescents.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore neuropsychological performance in untreated Brazilian adolescents suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: We assessed 30 untreated adolescents with ADHD and 60 healthy control subjects, aged 12 to 16 years, using a neuropsychological battery including the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST), the Stroop Test (ST), the Digit Span, and the Word Span. RESULTS: We found neuropsychological differences among the DSM-IV ADHD subtypes. Adolescents with the predominantly inattentive subtype (ADHD-I) performed more poorly than did control subjects on both the Digit Span and the ST. On both the Digit Span and the WCST, adolescents with the combined subtype (ADHD-C) presented significantly more impairments than did control subjects. Adolescents with the predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type (ADHD-HI) did not differ significantly from the control subjects in any measure assessed, but had a better performance than did those with ADHD-C on both the Digit Span and the WCST. In addition, adolescents with ADHD-HI performed better on the ST than did adolescents with ADHD-I. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest cognitive differences among ADHD subtypes, supporting the diagnostic distinction among them. Adolescents with ADHD-HI do not seem to have significant cognitive deficits.

Author information

Author/s: Schmitz, Marcelo (M); Cadore, Luciana (L); Paczko, Marcelo (M); Kipper, Letícia (L); Chaves, Márcia (M); Rohde, Luis A (LA); Moura, Clarissa (C); Knijnik, Márcia (M);

Affiliation: Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie (Can J Psychiatry), published in Canada. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Nov; vol 47 (issue 9) : pp 863-9

Dates: Created 2002/12/25; Completed 2003/01/30; Revised 2007/08/01;

PMID: 12500757, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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