Familial clustering of executive functioning in affected sibling pair families with ADHD.

Full Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate familial clustering of executive functioning (i.e., response inhibition, fine visuomotor functioning, and attentional control) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-affected sibling pairs. METHOD: Fifty-two affected sibling pairs aged 6 to 18 years and diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV performed the Stroop test, go/no-go task, two different fine visuomotor tracking tasks, and a sustained-, divided-, and focused attention task. RESULTS: Significant correlations (r = 0.4) were found between siblings for response inhibition and attentional control and for fine visuomotor skills that made high demands on executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Response inhibition, higher order controlled fine visuomotor functioning, and attentional control seem to cluster in ADHD-affected siblings. This suggests that these aspects of executive dysfunctioning may reflect an endophenotype of ADHD. Measurement of these executive functions may facilitate the identification of genes involved in ADHD by forming more homogeneous subgroups.

Author information

Author/s: Slaats-Willemse, Dorine (D); Swaab-Barneveld, Hanna (H); De Sonneville, Leo (L); Buitelaar, Jan (J);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, and The Academic Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Oost-Nederland, Nijmegen, the Netherlands. dorine.slaats(-atsign-)skjpon.nl

Journal and publication information

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

Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2005-Apr; vol 44 (issue 4) : pp 385-91

Dates: Created 2005/03/22; Completed 2005/05/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 15782086, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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