title: Persistence and remission of ADHD during adulthood: a 7-year clinical follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Course and predictors of persistence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults are still largely unknown. Neurobiological and clinical differences between child and adult ADHD raise the need for follow-up studies of patients diagnosed during adulthood. This study investigates predictors of ADHD persistence and the possibility of full remission 7 years after baseline assessment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 7-year follow-up study of adults with ADHD (n = 344, mean age 34.1 years, 49.9% males) was conducted. Variables from different domains (social demographics, co-morbidities, temperament, medication status, ADHD measures) were explored with the aim of finding potential predictors of ADHD persistence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Retention rate was 66% (n = 227). Approximately a third of the sample (n = 70, 30.2%) did not maintain ADHD criteria and 28 (12.4%) presented full remission (<4 symptoms), independently of changes in co-morbidity or cognitive demand profiles. Baseline predictors of diagnostic persistence were higher number of inattention symptoms [odds ratio (OR) 8.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.54-25.45, p < 0.001], number of hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.04-1.34, p = 0.01), oppositional defiant disorder (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.20-8.11, p = 0.02), and social phobia (OR 3.59, 95% CI 1.12-11.47, p = 0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the stage of brain maturation in adults suggests stability, approximately one third of the sample did not keep full DSM-IV diagnosis at follow-up, regardless if at early, middle or older adulthood. Although full remission is less common than in childhood, it should be considered as a possible outcome among adults.
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Karam
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Breda
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Picon
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rovaris
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Victor
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: C A I
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Vitola
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: P O
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Guimarães-da-Silva
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Mota
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Caye
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Belmonte-de-Abreu
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Grevet
authors.affiliation: ADHD Outpatient Clinic,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: C H D
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Bau
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072861:Phobia, Social / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012074:Remission Induction; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate
keywords: Adults; attention; co-morbidity; diagnosis; hyperactivity; longitudinal study; predictors; prospective