title: Latent profile analysis of neuropsychological measures to determine preschoolers' risk for ADHD.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperactive/Inattentive preschool children show clear evidence of neuropsychological dysfunction. We examined whether patterns and severity of test scores could reliably identify subgroups of preschoolers with differential risk for ADHD during school-age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Typically developing (TD: n = 76) and Hyperactive/Inattentive (HI: n = 138) 3-4 year olds were assessed annually for 6 years (T1-T6). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to form subgroups among the HI group based on objective/neuropsychological measures (NEPSY, Actigraph and Continuous Performance Test). Logistic regression assessed the predictive validity of empirically formed subgroups at risk for ADHD diagnosis relative to the TD group and to each other from T2 to T6.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latent profile analysis yielded two subgroups of HI preschoolers: (a) selectively weak Attention/Executive functions, and (b) pervasive neuropsychological dysfunction across all measures. Both subgroups were more likely to have ADHD at all follow-up time-points relative to the TD group (OR range: 11.29-86.32), but there were no significant differences between the LPA-formed subgroups of HI children at any time-point.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Objective/neuropsychological measures distinguish HI preschoolers from their TD peers, but patterns and severity of neuropsychological dysfunction do not predict risk for ADHD during school-age. We hypothesize that trajectories in at-risk children are influenced by subsequent environmental and neurodevelopmental factors, raising the possibility that they are amenable to early intervention.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Khushmand
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rajendran
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, City College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.affiliation: Child Study Center, Langone Medical Center, New York University, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.affiliation: Psychology Department, Queens College and the Graduate Center, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Halperin
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk
keywords: ADHD; Latent profile analysis; neuropsychology; preschool