Childhood ADHD Tied to Lower Cognitive Performance in Adulthood
MONDAY, Sept. 23, 2024 -- Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with impaired cognitive functioning in adulthood, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Frontiers in Psychology.
Nella Schiavone, from the University of Helsinki, and colleagues investigated the effect of childhood ADHD and subthreshold ADHD on cognitive performance in adulthood. The analysis included 39 individuals with childhood ADHD, 79 individuals with subthreshold childhood attention or hyperactivity symptoms (cAP), 255 individuals with similar perinatal risks but no ADHD symptoms, and 69 controls without ADHD symptoms or perinatal risks.
The researchers found that the groups' performance at age 40 years differed overall across all cognitive domains. The largest effect sizes were seen for verbal reasoning, perceptual skills, memory, and speed (0.51 to 0.62). Lower performance on 13 of 21 measures was seen for the childhood ADHD group versus the other groups. The cAP group performed poorer on five measures than controls. Three or more deficient cognitive domains were seen for 23 percent of the childhood ADHD group versus 4 to 6 percent in the other groups.
"It is noteworthy, however, that one-third of the ADHD group did not show deficits in any of the domains," the authors write. "This is expected because of the complexity and heterogeneity of cognitive functioning in ADHD."
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Read this next
Childhood Loneliness Linked to Cognitive Decline in Adulthood
MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2025 -- Childhood loneliness is associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk in adulthood, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in JAMA Network...
Tinnitus Linked to Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 11, 2025 -- In adults aged 60 years and older, tinnitus, especially severe and prolonged tinnitus, is significantly associated with cognitive impairment, according...
Insomnia Linked to Cognitive Decline, Cognitive Impairment
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 10, 2025 -- Insomnia is associated with cognitive decline and risk for cognitive impairment (CI), according to a study published online Sept. 10 in...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.