Self-report and objective measures of ADHD-related behaviors in parents of preschool children at risk for ADHD.
OBJECTIVE
Few studies have used a combination of objective and self-report measures to examine neuropsychological and behavioral functioning in parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined attention and inhibitory control in the parents of preschool children who were rated as "at risk" for developing ADHD as compared with parents of controls.


METHODS
Preschool children (N=53) were divided into at risk for ADHD and control groups based on parent and teacher ratings of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition ADHD symptoms. One parent of each child was administered an identical pairs Continuous Performance Test (CPT-IP), a Go/No-Go task, and the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults.


RESULTS
Parents of preschoolers at risk for ADHD showed a pattern of responding on measures of vigilance characterized by slower reaction times and increased commission errors as compared with parents of controls. There were no significant group differences on self-report measures on the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale for Adults.


CONCLUSIONS
Parents of preschoolers at risk for ADHD appear to exhibit cognitive processing deficits that may not be evident using self-report measures. Further research is needed to more clearly identify the specific nature of these neuropsychological deficits and to determine whether they have a negative impact on their children.
Curko Kera
Elizabeth A
EA
Neuropsychology Program, City University of New York Graduate Center, Queens College, Flushing, NY, USA.
Marks
David J
DJ
Berwid
Olga G
OG
Santra
Amita
A
Halperin
Jeffrey M
JM
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012647:Self-Assessment