title: Do symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo in children with ADHD symptoms represent comorbid internalizing difficulties?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) are correlated with inattention and internalizing difficulties. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether symptoms of SCT reflect comorbid internalizing disorder with ADHD or a separate syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a clinical sample of youth evaluated for behavioral and learning difficulties (N = 73), this study examined whether SCT remains associated with symptoms of ADHD after accounting for comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression reported by children and parents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SCT symptoms were correlated with inattention and parent reports of child depression, but not with parent-reported anxiety or child reports of internalizing problems. Inattention (in the absence of hyperactivity/impulsivity) remained uniquely associated with SCT even after accounting for internalizing problems.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings confirm SCT as a correlate of inattention and support its construct validity as separate from comorbid internalizing problems. Further research on the clinical utility of SCT is needed.
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA. aiartiga@uab.edu
authors.forename: Annie A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.forename: Sylvie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mrug
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hodgens
authors.forename: Cryshelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Patterson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018476:Hypokinesia / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013577:Syndrome