What Is The Impact of Atopic Diseases On Symptoms Dimension of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Studies in the field of neuroscience and psychology have hypothesized that a causal association exists between atopic diseases and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous systematic reviews and meta-analyses have reported a higher risk of ADHD in children with atopic diseases; however, the relationship between ADHD symptoms and atopic diseases remains unclear. We systematically reviewed observational cross-sectional and longitudinal studies to investigate the relationship between atopic diseases and ADHD symptom severity (hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention). The majority of studies showed a statistically significant association between atopic diseases and both ADHD symptoms, with substantial heterogeneity in the outcome of hyperactivity/impulsivity. Inconsistent results were observed in the subgroup analysis of different exclusion criteria for patients with ADHD. Our study indicated that atopic diseases not only increase the risk of ADHD but also are associated with ADHD symptom severity. This association was even observed in children with subthreshold ADHD, indicating that atopic diseases play a role in the spectrum of ADHD symptom severity. Trial registration: This study was registered on PROSPERO (registration ID: CRD42020213219).