Research article summary (published 29 Jun 2007):

Is attention deficit hyperactivity disorder a valid diagnosis in the presence of high IQ? Results from the MGH Longitudinal Family Studies of ADHD.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the validity of diagnosing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in high IQ children and to further characterize the clinical features associated with their ADHD. METHODS: We operationalized giftedness/high IQ as having a full scale IQ >/=120. We identified 92 children with a high IQ who did not have ADHD and 49 children with a high IQ that met diagnostic criteria for ADHD who had participated in the Massachusetts General Hospital Longitudinal Family Studies of ADHD. RESULTS: Of our participants with ADHD and a high IQ, the majority (n = 35) met criteria for the Combined subtype. Relative to control participants, children with ADHD and high IQ had a higher prevalence rate of familial ADHD in first-degree relatives, repeated grades more often, had a poorer performance on the WISC-III Block Design, had more comorbid psychopathology, and had more functional impairments across a number of domains. CONCLUSIONS: Children with a high IQ and ADHD showed a pattern of familiality as well as cognitive, psychiatric and behavioral features consistent with the diagnosis of ADHD in children with average IQ. These data suggest that the diagnosis of ADHD is valid among high IQ children.

Author information

Author/s: Antshel, Kevin M (KM); Faraone, Stephen V (SV); Stallone, Kimberly (K); Nave, Andrea (A); Kaufmann, Felice A (FA); Doyle, Alysa (A); Fried, Ronna (R); Seidman, Larry (L); Biederman, Joseph (J);

Affiliation: State University of New York - Upstate Medical University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, NY, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Validation Studies

Journal: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines (J Child Psychol Psychiatry), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jul; vol 48 (issue 7) : pp 687-94

Dates: Created 2007/06/26; Completed 2007/08/21;

PMID: 17593149, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Achievement Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; epidemiology; genetics Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; epidemiology Child Child, Gifted - psychology; statistics & numerical data Cognition Conduct Disorder - diagnosis; epidemiology Demography Female Follow-Up Studies Humans

Humans Intelligence Intelligence Tests Longitudinal Studies Male Mood Disorders - diagnosis; epidemiology Prevalence Questionnaires Schizophrenia - diagnosis; epidemiology Severity of Illness Index Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - diagnosis; epidemiology

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