Cognition in anxious children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a comparison with clinical and normal children.
BACKGROUND
Cognition in children with anxiety disorders (ANX) and comorbid Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD) has received little attention, potentially impacting clinical and academic interventions in this highly disabled group. This study examined several cognitive features relative to children with either pure condition and to normal controls.


METHODS
One hundred and eight children ages 8-12 and parents were diagnosed by semi-structured parent interview and teacher report as having: ANX (any anxiety disorder except OCD or PTSD; n = 52), ADHD (n = 21), or ANX + ADHD (n = 35). All completed measures of academic ability, emotional perception, and working memory. Clinical subjects were compared to 35 normal controls from local schools.


RESULTS
Groups did not differ significantly on age, gender, or estimated IQ. On analyses of variance, groups differed on academic functioning (Wide Range Achievement Test, p < .001), perception of emotion (auditory perception of anger, p < .05), and working memory (backwards digits, p < .01; backwards finger windows, p < .05; Chipasat task, p < .001). ANX + ADHD and children with ADHD did poorly relative to controls on all differentiating measures except auditory perception of anger, where ANX + ADHD showed less sensitivity than children with ANX or with ADHD.


CONCLUSIONS
Though requiring replication, findings suggest that ANX + ADHD relates to greater cognitive and academic vulnerability than ANX, but may relate to reduced perception of anger.
Manassis
Katharina
K
Department of Psychiatry, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1X8, Canada. katharina.manassis@sickkids.ca
Tannock
Rosemary
R
Young
Arlene
A
Francis-John
Shonna
S