Back to Search
Start Over
Sex-differential patterns of neuropsychological functioning in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
- Source :
- Comprehensive Psychiatry, Vol 131, Iss , Pp 152464- (2024)
- Publication Year :
- 2024
- Publisher :
- Elsevier, 2024.
-
Abstract
- Background: The sex-differential prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) varies across the lifespan, but little is known about sex differences in executive functions in adults with ADHD. Methods: We assessed 261 adults, aged 18–40 years, diagnosed with ADHD (170 males [assigned at birth], aged 25.81 ± 5.49; 91 females, aged 27.76 ± 5.42) and 308 neurotypical adults (176 males, aged 24.62 ± 5.14; 132 female, aged 25.37 ± 5.42) via psychiatric interviews to confirm ADHD and other psychiatric diagnoses. They were assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB) on Reaction Time (arousal/processing speed), Rapid Visual Information Processing (sustained attention), Spatial Span (spatial memory), Spatial Working Memory, Intradimentional/Extradimensional Shift (set-shifting), and Stocking of Cambridge (spatial planning). The primary analyses were adjusted for age, full-scale IQ, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Results: Adults with ADHD had various co-occurring psychiatric conditions without sex differences in ADHD-neurotypical differences. Both adult males and females with ADHD performed poorer in all CANTAB tasks than same-sex neurotypical adults. Significant sex-moderating effects were observed in neuropsychological performance, including greater ADHD-neurotypical differences in arousal for females than males and in location memory for spatial tasks in males than females. Conclusion: There were no sex-moderating effects in the presence of co-occurring psychiatric conditions in adult ADHD. However, there were sex-moderating effects on how ADHD related to neuropsychological functioning in adulthood. ADHD was associated with more challenges in arousal/processing speed in females and more challenges in strategy use or inhibition in spatial memory in males.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0010440X
- Volume :
- 131
- Issue :
- 152464-
- Database :
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Journal :
- Comprehensive Psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsdoj.fd1323455e424522a24e97f7eedf7598
- Document Type :
- article
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152464