Delineating early developmental pathways to ADHD: Setting an international research agenda.

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent, impairing, and highly heritable condition typically diagnosed in middle childhood. However, it is now recognized that symptoms emerge much earlier in development. Research focused on understanding-using multiple units of analysis-the cascade of early-life (i.e., prenatal-infant-toddler) developmental changes that will later emerge as ADHD has the potential to transform early identification, prevention, and intervention. To this end, we introduce the recently established Early ADHD Consortium, an international network of investigators engaged in prospective, longitudinal studies of risk for ADHD beginning early in life, conducted within a developmental framework, and which incorporate multimethod approaches. This network seeks to harmonize measures and methodological approaches to increase the potential for data sharing and subsequent impact.
Methods: This perspective paper highlights the importance of investigating pre-diagnostic markers of ADHD, and potential models and mechanisms of ADHD risk and development, with the long-term objective of facilitating development of preemptive interventions that will minimize the impact of ADHD symptoms on everyday functioning and maximize health and developmental outcomes.
Results: We selectively describe key challenges and questions for this field related to theoretical models and developmental mechanisms in ADHD and recommend next steps for the science, including methodological, measurement, and study design considerations. We then describe potential implications for preemptive intervention development. We conclude by considering other issues including ethical concerns and the critical value of incorporating stakeholder input.
Conclusions: It is hoped that this perspective puts forth a research agenda that will enhance collaborative efforts and accelerate progress in understanding developmental mechanisms and the early ADHD phenotype, with implications for early intervention enhancement of healthy development for infants, young children, and their families.
Competing Interests: Dr. Charman has served as a paid consultant to F. Hoffmann‐La Roche Ltd. and Servier; and has received royalties from Sage Publications and Guilford Publications. Dr. Polanczyk has served as a consultant/speaker to Abbott, Ache, Medice, Novo Nordisk, and Takeda, and has received royalties from Editora Manole. He is also a Joint Editor for JCPP Advances. Dr. Nigg has received royalties from Guilford Publications, he also serves on the JCPP Advances Editorial Advisory Board. Elizabeth Shephard serves on the JCPP Advances Editorial Advisory Board. Emily J.H. Jones is a Joint Editor for JCPP Advances. All other authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest.
(© 2023 The Authors. JCPP Advances published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.)