title: Lifetime stability of ADHD symptoms in older adults.
abstract: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to continue into old age. Studies in children and younger adults show a reduction in hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, whereas the number of inattentive symptoms stays stable. The current study examined the lifetime stability of ADHD symptoms up to old age. Data on ADHD diagnosis and symptoms were collected in a two-phase side-study (N = 231) of the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Paired t tests and ANCOVAs were used to analyze the data. Paired t test suggests continuity of the number of reported ADHD symptoms currently present and present in childhood. The change in the balance of inattentive/hyperactive-impulsive symptoms at present and in childhood is also the same in persons with ADHD. Finally, the difference in the change in the balance of inattentive/hyperactive-impulsive symptoms in those with and without ADHD suggests continuity throughout the life span. Our results suggest that diagnostic criteria developed for younger adults may be used among older adults. However, we collected our data retrospectively, which may have biased our results. Future research should follow larger cohorts of patients with ADHD prospectively over the life span.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, LASA, Van der Boechorststraat 7, MF-A525, 1081BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. h.comijs@vumc.nl.|Expertise Centre Adult ADHD, PsyQ, The Hague, The Netherlands. h.comijs@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Semeijn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, LASA, Van der Boechorststraat 7, MF-A525, 1081BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Comijs
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H C W
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: de Vet
authors.affiliation: Expertise Centre Adult ADHD, PsyQ, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J J S
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kooij
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, LASA, Van der Boechorststraat 7, MF-A525, 1081BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Expertise Centre Adult ADHD, PsyQ, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michielsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Netherlands EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, LASA, Van der Boechorststraat 7, MF-A525, 1081BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A T F
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: D J H
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Deeg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D063189:Symptom Assessment
keywords: ADHD; Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Older adults; Symptom stability