Cognitive strengths and deficits in schoolchildren with ADHD.
BACKGROUND
Few studies provide detailed analyses of the various aspects of the entire cognitive profile of children with ADHD.


METHODS
Cognitive test data were analysed for 10- to 11-year-old children with (1) ADHD, (2) subthreshold ADHD and (3) milder attention and/or learning problems, and compared with normative data.


RESULTS
Thirty-two had ADHD and 10 met the criteria for subthreshold ADHD, prevalence rates of 5.4% and 1.6%, respectively. On a group level, children with ADHD/subthreshold ADHD, and those with milder attention and/or learning problems had almost identical cognitive profiles for the 13 subtests comprising the WISC III, with particularly low results on the arithmetic, coding, information and digit span subtests (ACID profile). When analyzed individually, a complete or incomplete ACID profile (three of four subtests) was equally common in children with ADHD/subthreshold ADHD and in children with milder problems, found in about 1/5. The relative strengths of both groups were in areas demanding logical thinking, reasoning and common sense.


CONCLUSIONS
The specific ACID profile is as common in children with ADHD as in those with minor attention and/or learning problems. The cognitive weaknesses reflected in the ACID profile might play a role as an underlying factor in various developmental disorders.
Ek
Ulla
U
Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden. uek@psychology.su.se
Fernell
Elisabeth
E
Westerlund
Joakim
J
Holmberg
Kirsten
K
Olsson
Per-Olof
PO
Gillberg
Christopher
C
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male