Journal
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY
Volume 50, Issue 5, Pages 619-631Publisher
ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2019.1709196
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Mental Health [R00 MH106642, R01 MH068398]
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [U54 HD079125]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The study found that infants with a family history of ADHD already displayed behaviors related to inattention and hyperactivity as early as 12 months of age, and parents of these infants showed more concerns about their behavior and temperament. This suggests the potential for early detection of genetic liability for ADHD and the importance of well-designed family risk studies for clinical value.
Objective: We evaluated trajectories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD)-relevant behaviors in a sample of infants at high and low familial risk for ADHD who were prospectively evaluated at 12, 18, and 24 months of age. Method: Participants included 43 infants at risk for ADHD based on family history (i.e., diagnosed first-degree relative) and 40 low-risk infants (i.e., no family history of ADHD). Instances of inattention, out-of-seat, and grabbing behavior were coded from video; analogous constructs were rated by examiners unaware of familial risk status after completing structured standardized assessments with the infants/toddlers. At the end of each study visit, examiners solicited parents' concerns about their child's behavior. Differences in ADHD-related behaviors and parent concerns were examined between 12 and 24 months of age. Results: Infants with an older sibling or parent diagnosed with ADHD were distinguishable from infants with no family history of ADHD as early as 12 months of age based on directly observed and examiner reports of behavior, particularly with respect to hyperactive-impulsive behavior. Parents of infants at familial risk for ADHD also reported significantly more behavior/temperament concerns as early as 12 months of age compared to parents of infants at low risk for ADHD. Conclusions: These findings highlight the ability to detect genetic liability for ADHD by the end of the first year of life, suggesting that well-designed family risk studies of ADHD are feasible and may be clinically valuable. They also suggest the potential for earlier detection of risk for ADHD than has previously been possible.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available