title: Changing ASD-ADHD symptom co-occurrence across the lifespan with adolescence as crucial time window: Illustrating the need to go beyond childhood.
abstract: Literature on the co-occurrence between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is strongly biased by a focus on childhood age. A review of the adolescent and adult literature was made on core and related symptoms of ADHD and ASD. In addition, an empirical approach was used including 17,173 ASD-ADHD symptom ratings from participants aged 0 to 84 years. Results indicate that ASD/ADHD constellations peak during adolescence and are lower in early childhood and old age. We hypothesize that on the border of the expected transition to independent adulthood, ASD and ADHD co-occur most because social adaptation and EF skills matter most. Lower correlations in childhood and older age may be due to more diffuse symptoms reflecting respectively still differentiating and de-differentiating EF functions. We plea for a strong research focus in adolescence which may -after early childhood- be a second crucial time window for catching-up pattern explaining more optimal outcomes. We discuss obstacles and oppportunities of a full lifespan approach into old age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Interdisciplinary Center of Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation (ICPE) & Research School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: c.hartman@accare.nl.
authors.forename: Catharina A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hartman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, d'Arc, & Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Dr Leo Kannerhuis, Autism Clinic, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hilde M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Geurts
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Buitelaar
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nanda N J
authors.initials: NNJ
authors.lastname: Rommelse
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans
keywords: Adolescence; Adults; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Autism spectrum disorder; Comorbidity; Life course; Life span; Neurodevelopmental