Temporal stability of ADHD in the high-IQ population: Results from the MGH longitudinal family studies of ADHD

Kevin M. Antshel, Stephen V. Faraone, Katharine Maglione, Alysa Doyle, Ronna Fried, Larry Seidman, Joseph Biederman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

42 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: The diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in high-IQ youths remains controversial. Method: To further explore the diagnostic validity of ADHD in this population, we studied two cohorts of high-IQ youths, both with and without ADHD, across a 4.5-year period. Results: Compared to those without ADHD, high-IQ youths with ADHD had significantly higher rates of mood, anxiety, and disruptive behavior disorders at follow-up. In addition, ADHD status was a significant predictor for higher impairments across most social, academic, and family functional domains. Associations between baseline and follow-up IQ scores did not differ between groups. Syndromal persistence rates of ADHD were similar between high-IQ and average-IQ youths with ADHD. Conclusions: These results provide further support for the predictive validity of ADHD in high-IQ youths.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)817-825
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume47
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
  • Diagnosis
  • Gifted
  • IQ
  • Intelligence

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