Lifetime stability of ADHD symptoms in older adults

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to continue into old age. Studies in children and younger adults show a reduction in hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, whereas the number of inattentive symptoms stays stable. The current study examined the lifetime stability of ADHD symptoms up to old age. Data on ADHD diagnosis and symptoms were collected in a two-phase side-study (N = 231) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Paired t tests and ANCOVAs were used to analyze the data. Paired t test suggests continuity of the number of reported ADHD symptoms currently present and present in childhood. The change in the balance of inattentive/hyperactive-impulsive symptoms at present and in childhood is also the same in persons with ADHD. Finally, the difference in the change in the balance of inattentive/hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in those with and without ADHD suggests continuity throughout the life span. Our results suggest that diagnostic criteria developed for younger adults may be used among older adults. However, we collected our data retrospectively, which may have biased our results. Future research should follow larger cohorts of patients with ADHD prospectively over the life span.

Being Different but Striving to Seem Normal: The Lived Experiences of People Aged 50+ with ADHD

“…Adult ADHD can be found in the research literature since 1976 (Wood, Reimherr, Wender, & Johnson, 1976). Subsequent research shows that ADHD persists into adulthood (Fayyad et al, 2017;Semeijn et al, 2016), and old age (Torgersen, Gjervan, Lensing, & Rasmussen, 2016).…”

Adult ADHD: Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic?

“…The presentation of ADHD has been described as changing from childhood to adulthood. Specifically, while overt behavioral disturbances tend to fade in adulthood (though not always; Brod et al, 2012 ; Guldberg-Kjär et al, 2013 ; Semeijn et al, 2015 ), cognitive symptoms (Volkow and Swanson, 2013 ; Asherson et al, 2016 ; Kooij et al, 2016 ) and subjective cognitive complaints (Bramham et al, 2012 ) seem to persist. The most common of these include difficulty engaging and sustaining attention, working memory deficits and slowed processing speed (Seidman, 2006 ).…”

Objective assessment of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder in older adults compared with controls using the QbTest

“…4 It has also been shown that ADHD prevails into old age, 5 with prevalence rates of 2.8% and 3.3% among adults aged 60 years or older. 2,3 A cross-national prevalence of 2.8% has been reported for ADHD in young to middle adulthood.…”

“…2,3 A cross-national prevalence of 2.8% has been reported for ADHD in young to middle adulthood. 4 It has also been shown that ADHD prevails into old age, 5 with prevalence rates of 2.8% and 3.3% among adults aged 60 years or older. 6,7 Adults with ADHD aged 60 years and older have been found to have similar impairments as younger adults with ADHD in terms of comorbid psychiatric disorders (eg, mood and anxiety disorders), equally lower educational achievements, impaired social functioning, and lower quality of life.…”