title: Exploring ADHD age-of-onset criterion in Brazilian adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore age-of-onset criterion for the diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a school sample of young Brazilian adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  191 students aged 12 to 14 years were evaluated using DSM-IV ADHD criteria, measures of ADHD symptoms and global impairment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both adolescents with ADHD (n = 30) and adolescents who fulfilled all DSM-IV ADHD criteria, except age of onset of impairment criterion (ADHD w/o age-of-onset, n = 27) had significantly higher scores on Attention Problems, Delinquent and Aggressive Behavior scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and lower scores on the Child Global Assessment scale (CGAS) than non-ADHD adolescents (n = 134). Adolescents with ADHD and youths with ADHD w/o age-of-onset did not differ significantly in any measure assessed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results concur with recent literature proposing revision of the age-of-onset criterion for the diagnosis of ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Psiquiatria da Infância e Adolescência Hospital de Clínicas de Porto, Porto Alegre Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. lrohde@zaz.com.br
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Biederman
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tramontina
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D017668:Age of Onset; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales