Self-Report and Objective Measures of ADHD-Related Behaviors in Parents of Preschool Children at Risk for ADHD

Abstract

Objective: Few studies have used a combination of objective and self-report measures to examine neuropsychological and behavioral functioning in parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined attention and inhibitory control in the parents of preschool children who were rated as “at risk” for developing ADHD as compared with parents of controls.Methods:Preschool children (N=53) were divided into at risk for ADHD and control groups based on parent and teacher ratings of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ADHD symptoms. One parent of each child was administered an identical pairs Continuous Performance Test (CPTIP), a Go/No-Go task, and the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults.Results: Parents of preschoolers at risk for ADHD showed a pattern of responding on measures of vigilance characterized by slower reaction times and increased commission errors as compared with parents of controls. There were no significant group differences on self-report measures on the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults.Conclusion: Parents of preschoolers at risk for ADHD appear to exhibit cognitive processing deficits that may not be evident using self-report measures. Further research is needed to more clearly identify the specific nature of these neuropsychological deficits and to determine whether they have a negative impact on their children.

Developmental Twin Study of Attention Problems

“…Similar results have been observed in studies of parent-offspring ADHD showing greater parent-offspring associations with informant report or cognitive performance data than self-ratings. [40][41][42] Of particular interest, our finding of a high crossinformant heritability estimate for AP in early adulthood is consistent with findings from clinical-based family studies showing a high familial loading on ADHD in adults. 13,14,16 Taken together, our results indicate that in twin studies of ADHD symptoms in adults, the use of multiple informants as compared with self-ratings only produces heritability estimates more in line with the results from family studies of clinically referred adult patients and previous estimates of heritability in children and adolescents.…”

Innovative methods for remote assessment of neurobehavioral development

“…The CPT has been a workhorse in developmental psychopathology research for decades (Kera et al, 2004;Nigg et al, 2018). We prefer the IP version for older children because it is more difficult than commercial tasks, yielding a higher error rate and thus stronger differentiation of functioning.…”

Effort-Related Decision-Making in ADHD

“…Continuous Performance Task [42,43]: Computerized task in which 4digit numbers are shown sequentially on the screen. The participant is required to respond when the current number matches the previous one.…”