SEX AND AGE DIFFERENCES IN ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER

拟议的研究将检查注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）在儿童期晚期到青春期过渡期间的性别差异。本研究将确定：(1)在儿童期晚期到青春期过渡期间，DSM-IV ADHD症状的因素结构在男性和女性之间是否存在差异；(2)DSM-IV ADHD诊断标准是否低估了经历ADHD相关损害的女性；(3)在儿童期晚期到青春期过渡期间，男性和女性是否遵循相似的ADHD症状发展轨迹。总的来说，这些研究将有助于完善患有ADHD相关损害的ADHD未被识别的女性的诊断标准，以及(3)男性和女性在从儿童期晚期到青春期的过渡期间是否遵循相似的ADHD症状发展轨迹。总的来说，这些研究将有助于改进ADHD的诊断标准。本建议的重要方面包括：(1)对高质量的纵向流行病学数据集进行二次数据分析；(2)使用区分注意力不集中和多动冲动症状类型的DSM-IV标准评估ADHD；(3)从明确的发展角度探讨ADHD的性别差异问题；(4)利用先进的定量方法解决传统方法提出的研究问题。

The proposed studies will examine sex differences in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during the transition from late childhood to adolescence. This research will determine: (1) whether the factor- structure of DSM-IV ADHD symptoms differs for males or females during the transition from late childhood through adolescence, (2) whether DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD under-identify females who experience ADHD related impairment, and (3) whether males and females follow similar developmental trajectories of ADHD symptomatology during the transition from late childhood through adolescence. Collectively these studies will facilitate efforts to refine the diagnostic criteria for ADHD under-identify females who experience ADHD related impairment, and (3) whether males and females follow similar developmental trajectories of ADHD symptomatology during the transition from late childhood through adolescence. Collectively these studies will facilitate efforts to refine the diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Important aspects of this proposal include: (1) Secondary data analysis of a high quality, longitudinal, epidemiological data set, (2) Assessing ADHD using DSM-IV criteria that distinguish between inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptom types, (3) Approaching the question of sex differences in ADHD from an explicitly developmental perspective, and (4) Utilizing advanced quantitative methods that address the proposed research questions that do traditional methods.