Commonalities and specificities between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism-spectrum disorders: can epidemiology contribute?

Abstract

International audienceAttention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most frequent neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents (5.9–7.1 % prevalence for ADHD [28] and approximately 0.62–0.70 % for ASD [17]). Core symptoms as well as treatment differ between these two disorders, yet some characteristics are shared, including symptoms of inattention, social dysfunction, and difficult behavior (e.g. tantrums, aggression) [2]. What is more, these two multifactorial disorders frequently co-occur [6] and have several risk factors in common (e.g. male sex, low birth weight, in utero neurotoxic exposures, low family socioeconomic position) [7, 8]. This raises questions regarding (1) the specificity of underlying etiological factors, (2) the degree of functional impairment across different profiles of comorbidity and (3) optimal treatment—particularly for children who have both ADHD and ASD [6]. Epidemiology can help gain a better understanding of the origins and consequences of ADHD and ASD, and several articles in this month’s issue of European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provide a brilliant illustration. [...