Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Queen Silvia Children´s Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Brain Behav. 2024 Jul;14(7):e3626. doi: 10.1002/brb3.3626.
Studies of cognitive functioning in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have often used healthy comparison groups. The present study examines cognitive profiles, including general intellectual and executive functions, in a young adult psychiatric outpatient clientele with ADHD and evaluates whether their cognitive profiles can help differentiate them from patients with non-ADHD-associated psychiatric disorders.
The study group comprised 141 young adult psychiatric patients (age range 18-25 years) of whom 78 had ADHD. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment included the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4th version and subtests from Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System. Clinical psychiatric assessments and diagnostic evaluation were performed.
The ADHD group (including all subtypes) had significantly lower verbal comprehension and full-scale intelligence quotient than the non-ADHD group. Tests measuring working memory or executive function did not separate those with and without ADHD.
The results of our study suggest that, except for the need to establish overall cognitive performance level, the clinical implication of testing is small if the purpose is to "rule out" an ADHD diagnosis.
研究注意缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）患者的认知功能通常使用健康对照组。本研究检查了认知特征，包括一般智力和执行功能，在患有 ADHD 的年轻成年精神科门诊患者中，并评估他们的认知特征是否可以帮助将他们与非 ADHD 相关的精神障碍患者区分开来。
研究组包括 141 名年轻成年精神科患者（年龄 18-25 岁），其中 78 名患有 ADHD。全面的神经心理学评估包括韦氏成人智力量表第四版和 Delis-Kaplan 执行功能系统的子测验。进行了临床精神科评估和诊断评估。
ADHD 组（包括所有亚型）的言语理解和全量表智商明显低于非 ADHD 组。测试工作记忆或执行功能的测试并不能区分有无 ADHD 的患者。
我们的研究结果表明，除了需要建立整体认知表现水平外，如果目的是“排除” ADHD 诊断，那么测试的临床意义很小。
