Thought disorder in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
OBJECTIVE
This study compared thought disorder and associated cognitive variables in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia.


METHODS
Speech samples of 115 ADHD, 88 schizophrenic, and 190 normal children, aged 8 to 15 years, were coded for thought disorder. A structured psychiatric interview, the WISC-R, the Continuous Performance Test, and the Span of Apprehension task were administered to each child.


RESULTS
The ADHD and schizophrenic groups had thought disorder compared with the normal children. However, the subjects with ADHD had a narrower range of less severe thought disorder than did the schizophrenic subjects. The younger children with ADHD and schizophrenia had significantly more thought disorder than did the older children with these diagnoses. IQ, attention, and working memory were associated with thought disorder in the ADHD but not the schizophrenic group.


CONCLUSIONS
Thought disorder in childhood is not specific to schizophrenia and reflects impaired development of children's communication skills.
Caplan
R
R
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. rcaplan@ucla.edu
Guthrie
D
D
Tang
B
B
Nuechterlein
K H
KH
Asarnow
R E
RE
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013850:Thinking; D014888:Wechsler Scales