title: Incremental validity of neuropsychological assessment in the identification and treatment of youth with ADHD.
abstract: Comprehensive neuropsychological assessments for youth with ADHD allow for thorough consideration of co-occurring disorders and provide targeted recommendations for treating ADHD and comorbid conditions. This study offers a preliminary evaluation of the added value (compared to routine care) associated with neuropsychological assessment in the identification and treatment of ADHD in youth ages 3-17 years. First we describe a novel measure developed to evaluate broad-based outcomes for youth with ADHD following neuropsychological assessment. Next we compare parent ratings of child symptoms and quality of life between two groups of youth with ADHD: those who have recently received neuropsychological assessments (NP+), and those who have not (NP-). Participants were surveyed again 5 months after baseline to assess changes in symptoms, quality of life, and service utilization. While both groups experienced significant improvements in behavioral/emotional symptoms, the NP+ group had greater initiation of parent behavior management training and special education services and greater initiation of medication management over the follow-up period, compared with the NP- group. Satisfaction with neuropsychological assessment was high overall but slightly decreased over the course of the follow-up period. The findings offer preliminary support for the incremental efficacy of neuropsychological evaluation in the diagnosis and management of ADHD.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Neuropsychology , Kennedy Krieger Institute , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: Alison E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pritchard
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koriakin
authors.forename: Lisa A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jacobson
authors.forename: E Mark
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Mahone
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006295:Health Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents; D011788:Quality of Life; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology