Neuropsychological impairments in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a literature review

• Published in: Psychiatria Hungarica : A Magyar Pszichiatriai Tarsasag tudomanyos folyoirata Vol. 23; no. 5; p. 324
• Main Authors: Bálint, Sára, Czobor, Pál, Mészáros, Agnes, Simon, Viktória, Bitter, István
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Hungarian
• Published: Hungary 2008
• Subjects: Adult; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Child; Humans; Neuropsychological Tests; Wechsler Scales
• ISSN: 0237-7896

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorders. Based on various empirical estimates, symptoms of ADHD persist into adulthood in about 30-50% of the childhood cases. The objective of the present investigation was to conduct a systematic review of neuropsychological studies to characterize executive and attentional performance in subjects with adult ADHD and to examine whether these neuropsychological tools are useful to diagnose the disorder. 29 relevant publications were identified from 1993 to 2007 via a comprehensive research in Medline and Pubmed databases. The neuropsychological characteristics of adults with ADHD are comparable to those described in the pediatric population. Results indicate that in ADHD the frontal lobe neurocognitive functions, such as attention, planning, behaviour inhibition and problem solving, are the ones primarily impaired in the disorder. A better understanding of the nature and extent of the impairment of the cognitive functions involved in the disorder would offer opportunities for the development of disease-specific cognitive therapies and psychopharmacological therapies for patients with ADHD. Furthermore, a finer specification of the neurocognitive profile in adult ADHD might be of great importance as a sensitive marker for the efficacy of pharmaceutical agents.