title: Asperger Syndrome: a frequent comorbidity in first diagnosed adult ADHD patients?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Because adult ADHD is often accompanied by psychiatric comorbidities, the diagnostic process should include a thorough investigation for comorbid disorders. Asperger-Syndrome is rarely reported in adult ADHD and commonly little attention is paid to this possible comorbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 53 adult ADHD-patients which visited our out patient clinic for first ADHD-diagnosis (17 females, 36 males; range of age: 18-56 years) for the frequency of a comorbid Asperger-Syndrome. Diagnosis of this autism-spectrum disorder was confirmed by applying the appropriate DSM-IV-criteria. Additionally we tested the power of the two screening-instruments "Autism-spectrum quotient" (AQ) and "Empathy quotient" (EQ) by Baron-Cohen for screening Asperger-Syndrome in adult ADHD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight ADHD-patients were diagnosed with a comorbid Asperger-Syndrome (15.1%). The difference in AQ- and EQ-scores between pure ADHD-patients and comorbid patients was analysed, showing significantly higher scores in AQ and significant lower scores in EQ in comorbid patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results show that the frequency of Asperger-Syndrome seems to be substantially increased in adult ADHD (versus the prevalence of 0.06% in the general population), indicating that investigators of adult ADHD should also be attentive to autism-spectrum disorders. Especially the AQ seems to be a potential screening instrument for Asperger-Syndrome in adult ADHD-patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Social-Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School (MHH), Carl-Neuberg-Straβe 1, 30625 Hanover, Germany. Roy.Mandy@mh-hannover.de
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roy
authors.forename: Martin D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Ohlmeier
authors.forename: Lasse
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Osterhagen
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Prox-Vagedes
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dillo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000592:standards*; D055815:Young Adult