Invariance of ADHD Symptoms Across Sex and Age: a Latent Analysis of ADHD and Impairment Ratings from Early Childhood into Adolescence

Abstract

A population-based longitudinal sample of 489 twin pairs was assessed at six time points over ten years to examine the measurement invariance and stability of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, as well as the developmental relations between inattention (IN), hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI), and multiple aspects of functional impairment. Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms and functional impairment were obtained in preschool and after the completion of kindergarten, first, second, fourth, and ninth grades. Results of the temporal and sex invariance models indicated that parent ratings of the 18 ADHD symptoms function in the same manner for females and males from early childhood into adolescence. In addition to establishing this prerequisite condition for the interpretation of longitudinal and between-sex differences in the IN and HI symptom dimensions, cross-lagged models indicated that both IN and HI were associated with increased risk for both concurrent and future overall, social, and recreational impairment, whereas only IN was uniquely associated with later academic impairment. Taken together, the current results demonstrate that IN and HI are highly stable from preschool through ninth grade, invariant between females and males, and indicative of risk for impairment in multiple areas, thereby providing strong support for the validity of the symptom dimensions among both sexes.

Brain Anatomical Mediators of GRIN2B Gene Association with Attention/Hyperactivity Problems: An Integrated Genetic-Neuroimaging Study

“…The use of the mean CBCL/6-18 AP score across three time points allowed us to smooth the variability due to different manifestations of this complex behavior from childhood to adolescence. In fact, the CBCL/6-18 AP scale assesses both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms linked to ADHD, and longitudinal studies suggest that these dimensions may follow separate developmental trajectories and have different manifestations at different ages [3].…”

“…Literature evidence suggests high stability for both attention problems and hyperactivityimpulsivity traits, but their phenotypes seem to follow different developmental trajectories. Indeed, gender, pharmacologic, or psychosocial treatment and environment might influence their manifestation over time [3]. Twin studies on developmental aged cohorts found a high heritability of attention problems, between 70 and 75%.…”

Longitudinal Analysis of Self-Reported Symptoms, Behavioral Measures, and Event-Related Potential Components of a Cued Go/NoGo Task in Adults With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Controls

“…It states that these impairments persist, independent of age and alteration in symptoms. Evidence for the liability hypothesis derives from longitudinal studies with children and adolescents which show that individuals with ADHD have persistent neurocognitive deficits (Albrecht et al, 2008;Gau and Shang, 2010;Leopold et al, 2019).…”

Patterns of Response to Methylphenidate Administration in Children with ADHD: A Personalized Medicine Approach through Clustering Analysis

“…Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood-onset neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by a persistent behavioral and cognitive pattern that includes inattention, motor hyperactivity, and impulsivity symptoms that manifest inconsistently with age or developmental level [1,2]. ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting between 2 and 7% of children and adolescents worldwide, with an average prevalence of approximately 5% [3,4]. According to a recent review, the pooled prevalence of ADHD diagnosis in Italian children aged 5-17 was 2.9% (range: 1.1-16.7%), whereas in studies based on symptoms criteria, the average estimated prevalence was 5.9% (range: 1.4 to 16.7%) [5].…”