Sensitivity and specificity of long wave infrared imaging for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
OBJECTIVE
This study was the first to investigate the efficacy of long wave infrared (LWIR) imaging as a diagnostic tool for ADHD.


METHODS
This study was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of LWIR imaging as a method of diagnosis among 190 patients (ages 4.4-57 years) with various diagnoses, including ADHD, who came into our office for neuropsychological evaluation.


RESULTS
LWIR imaging demonstrated a moderate level of sensitivity (65.71%) in identifying patients with ADHD and a high level of specificity (94%) in discriminating those with ADHD from those with other diagnoses. The overall classification rate was 73.16%. This was indicative of a high level of discriminant validity in distinguishing between patients with and without ADHD. There was a moderate level of agreement between LWIR imaging and multiple other diagnostic tests for ADHD.


CONCLUSIONS
LWIR imaging demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. These results provide evidence for the efficacy of a novel, quick, and effective way to investigate the physiological basis of one of the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders.
Coben
Robert
R
Neurorehabilitation & Neuropsychological Services, New York, USA. robcoben@optonline.net
Myers
Thomas E
TE
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data