Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Neuropsychological correlates and clinical presentation

We compared the neuropsychological test performance of adult ADHD patients to the neuro cognitive profiles of control subjects recruited from the gene ral population. We administered a neuropsychological test battery consistin g of measures considered sensitive to either orbitofrontal or dorsolateral- prefrontal (DLPF) dysfunction. Orbitofrontal hypoarousal is associated with behavioral disinhibition and a relative indifference to punishment. The DL PF region may function as a central executive system. indeed, DLPF dysfunct ion map underlie many of the cardinal symptoms associated with ADHD. We tes ted the following hypotheses: (l)adult subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for . ADHD, predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type. would display neuropsycho logical deficits on tasks sensitive to orbitofrontal dysfunction: (2) adult subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADI-ID. predominantly inattentive typ e, would perform poorly on measures sensitive to DLPF dysfunction: and (3) adult subjects meeting DSM-IV criteria for ADHD, combined type, would exhib it performance deficits on orbitofrontal measures and on DLPF tasks. Result s partially confirmed our hypotheses. Subtyping ADHD patients revealed impo rtant group differences. Distinct neurocognitive and clinical profiles were observed. (C) 2001 Academic Press.