NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF FAMILIAL ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER IN ADULTS

To determine the neuropsychological correlates of attention-deficit hy peractivity disorder (ADHD) in adults, we examined 21 subjects (16 mal es, 5 females) with childhood-onset and familial ADHD (i.e., biologica l parents of children with ADHD) with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised (WAIS-R), the Wide Range Achievement Test-Revised (WRAT- R), Gray Oral Reading Test, and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Consi stent with findings in children with ADHD, Freedom from Distractibilit y (Arithmetic and Digit Span subtests) was decreased relative to the V erbal Comprehension and Perceptual Organization factors on the WAIS-R for the group as a whole, with seven subjects (33%) demonstrating sign ificant attentional deficits when either factor or individual subtest profiles were considered. Although six men (29% of sample) met regress ion-based criteria for reading/spelling disabilities, only two of thes e subjects showed absolute deficits in reading and spelling. None show ed a comorbid arithmetic disorder. Wisconsin Card Sort performance fel l within normal limits for all but three subjects. The lack of signifi cant deficits on our test battery suggest that future studies should a ddress test sensitivity issues and include a broader assessment of the impact of ADHD symptoms on daily social functioning in adults.