title: Neurological soft signs in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Their relationship to executive function and parental neurological soft signs.
abstract: The correlations between neurological soft signs (NSS) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and their executive function, symptoms of inattention, and hyperactivity-impulsivity and the NSS of their parents remain unclear. This study aimed to examine: (1) the prevalence of NSS in children with ADHD and their parents; (2) the correlation between the NSS of children with ADHD and the NSS of their parents; and (3) the correlation between the NSS of children with ADHD and their executive function and symptoms. NSS were assessed with the Cambridge Neurological Inventory (CNI) in 57 children with ADHD (and 80 parents) and 60 healthy children (and 75 parents). Executive function was measured with the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Children with ADHD and their parents had significantly higher NSS than normal children and their parents, respectively, and the NSS of children with ADHD were correlated more strongly with the NSS of their fathers than their mothers. No correlation was found between NSS and BRIEF executive function, but Disinhibition in children with ADHD was significantly correlated with hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. Paternal and maternal NSS provided different predictions for child NSS. It may be that NSS are more likely to be genetically transmitted by fathers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Psychology, Traditional Chinese Medicine University of Hunan, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Psychology, Traditional Chinese Medicine University of Hunan, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Jingtao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine and Health Management, School of Public Health, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Gui
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Psychology, Traditional Chinese Medicine University of Hunan, Changsha 410208, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Yajie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Juqian Road No. 185, Changzhou 213003, China. Electronic address: yarmine@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Suhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006948:Hyperkinesis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence
keywords: ADHD; BRIEF; CNI; NSS