ADHD IN ADULTS--COMORBIDITIES AND ADAPTIVE IMPAIRMENTS

描述（申请人的摘要）：尽管有大量关于 注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）的儿童，很少 在成年人中的表现。 此外，目前的诊断标准， 在儿童身上开发的，似乎不适合成人。 信息 与ADHD相关的特定形式的损害在成年期和 什么样的方法可能是最适合其临床评价几乎是 根本不存在 然而，我们的初步研究表明， 明显倾向于特定的精神共病， 适应性功能障碍，如社会和婚姻关系， 就业困难和儿童管理。 建议进行为期3年的研究 评估ADHD的性质，现有的和新提出的 套证诊断标准的制定，价值 建立诊断的发病年龄标准， 与成人ADHD相关的精神/心理共病。 的 这些共病疾病影响损害模式的方式将 也被研究。 将使用多方法评估组合， 将审查与性别有关的可能影响。 具体来说，240 临床推荐的ADHD成人（每种性别120人）和160名社区 将研究对照成年人（每种性别80人）。 每个售价 接受采访的精神疾病以及困难， 社会和心理功能、就业和教育 成就和成就。 过去的教育记录也将获得 评估儿童时期的教育障碍史 一 一系列神经心理学测试将用于评估持续的 注意力、冲动控制、延迟满足、工作记忆、知觉 时间和规划能力。 结果应提供重要信息 关于成人多动症及其诊断的潜在有用标准。

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Abstract): Despite a wealth of information on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, very little exists on its expression in adults. Moreover, current diagnostic criteria, developed on children, do not seem appropriate for adults. Information on the specific forms of impairment associated with ADHD in adulthood and on what methods may be most appropriate for its clinical evaluation is almost nonexistent. Yet, our pilot studies indicate that ADHD in adults significantly predisposes toward specific psychiatric comorbidities and impairments in adaptive functioning, such as social and marital relations, employment difficulties, and child management. A 3 year study is proposed to evaluate the nature of ADHD, the utility of existing and newly proposed sets of symptoms for the development of diagnostic criteria, the value of establishing an age of onset criterion for diagnosis, and the specific psychiatric/psychologic comorbidities associated with ADHD in adults. The manner in which these comorbid disorders affect patterns of impairment will also be studied. A multi-method assessment battery will be utilized and possible effects related to gender will be examined. Specifically, 240 clinic-referred adults with ADHD (120 of each gender) and 160 community control adults (80 of each gender) will be studied. Each will be interviewed concerning psychiatric disorders as well as difficulties in social and psychological functioning, employment, and educational achievement and attainment. Past educational records will also be obtained to evaluate any history of educational impairment since childhood. A battery of neuropsychological tests will be used to assess sustained attention, impulse control, delay of gratification, working memory, sense of time, and planning ability. Results should provide important information about ADHD in adults and potentially useful criteria for its diagnosis.