title: Correspondence of parent report and laboratory measures of inattention and hyperactivity in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.
abstract: Clinical research and practice support a multi-method approach to validating behavioral problems in children. We examined whether parent-reported symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention (using the Disruptive Behavior Disorder Rating Scale) were substantiated by objective laboratory measures [hyperactivity measured by wrist-worn actigraphy (ACT) and inattention assessed using a 20-minute continuous performance task (CPT)] in three age- and demographically-matched groups of school-age children: children with prenatal alcohol exposure (AE), non-exposed children with idiopathic ADHD (ADHD), and controls (CON). Results indicated that the clinical groups (AE, ADHD) had significantly higher parent-reported levels for both domains compared to the CON group, and did not differ from each other. On the laboratory measures, the clinical groups were more inattentive than controls on the CPT, but did not differ from each other. In contrast, the ADHD group had higher objective activity on the ACT than AE and CON, which did not differ from each other. Thus, laboratory measures differentially validated parent reports in a group-dependent manner. Actigraphy substantiated parent-reported hyperactivity for children in the ADHD group but not for children in the AE group, while the CPT validated parent-reported inattention for both clinical groups. Although the majority of children in the AE group met the criteria for ADHD, objective activity levels were not different from controls, indicating that hyperactivity may be a less prominent feature in the AE group. Thus, while there is considerable overlap between the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and ADHD, differences in behavioral profiles may be clinically useful in differential diagnosis. Further, these data indicate that objective measures should be used to validate parent reports.
authors: Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. Electronic address: lglass@mail.sdsu.edu.
authors: Leila
authors: L
authors: Glass
authors: Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. Electronic address: dgraham@mail.sdsu.edu.
authors: Diana M
authors: DM
authors: Graham
authors: Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. Electronic address: bdeweese@mail.sdsu.edu.
authors: Benjamin N
authors: BN
authors: Deweese
authors: University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, San Diego, CA 92093, USA. Electronic address: klyons@ucsd.edu.
authors: Kenneth Lyons
authors: KL
authors: Jones
authors: Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. Electronic address: eriley@mail.sdsu.edu.
authors: Edward P
authors: EP
authors: Riley
authors: Center for Behavioral Teratology, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6330 Alvarado Court, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92120, USA. Electronic address: sarah.mattson@sdsu.edu.
authors: Sarah N
authors: SN
authors: Mattson
mesh_terms: D056044:Actigraphy; D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD); Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS); Hyperactivity; Inattention; Prenatal alcohol exposure