[Neuropsychological impairments in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a literature review].
BACKGROUND
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed childhood psychiatric disorders. Based on various empirical estimates, symptoms of ADHD persist into adulthood in about 30-50% of the childhood cases.


METHODS
The objective of the present investigation was to conduct a systematic review of neuropsychological studies to characterize executive and attentional performance in subjects with adult ADHD and to examine whether these neuropsychological tools are useful to diagnose the disorder. 29 relevant publications were identified from 1993 to 2007 via a comprehensive research in Medline and Pubmed databases.


RESULTS
The neuropsychological characteristics of adults with ADHD are comparable to those described in the pediatric population. Results indicate that in ADHD the frontal lobe neurocognitive functions, such as attention, planning, behaviour inhibition and problem solving, are the ones primarily impaired in the disorder.


CONCLUSIONS
A better understanding of the nature and extent of the impairment of the cognitive functions involved in the disorder would offer opportunities for the development of disease-specific cognitive therapies and psychopharmacological therapies for patients with ADHD. Furthermore, a finer specification of the neurocognitive profile in adult ADHD might be of great importance as a sensitive marker for the efficacy of pharmaceutical agents.
Bálint
Sára
S
Semmelweis Egyetem, Pszichiatriai és Pszichoterapias Klinika. balint@psych.sote.hu
Czobor
Pál
P
Mészáros
Agnes
A
Simon
Viktória
V
Bitter
István
I
D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014888:Wechsler Scales