The etiological structure of cognitive-neurophysiological impairments in ADHD in adolescence and young adulthood

Abstract

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with multiple cognitive impairments. Previous studies have identified two partially separable familial factors underlying the cognitive impairments in childhood combined-type ADHD. The extent to which these cognitive impairments share familial influences with ADHD beyond childhood is unknown. Here, we investigate the etiological structure of cognitive-neurophysiological impairments in persistent ADHD in adolescence and young adulthood. In a sample of 356 participants from ADHD and control sibling pairs (11-27 years), factor analyses and multivariate familial models were run on data on IQ, digit span forward (DSF), digit span backward (DSB), and cognitive-performance and event-related potential (ERP) measures from a cued continuous performance task, an arrow flanker task and a four-choice reaction time task. Three familial factors (cF1-3) were identified, which captured the familial covariation of ADHD with nine cognitive-ERP measures. cF1 loaded on IQ, mean reaction time (MRT) and reaction-time variability (RTV); cF2 on DSF and DSB; and cF3 on number of errors and ERPs of inhibitory control (NoGo-P3) and error processing (error-related negativity; ERN). All three factors showed significant familial overlap with ADHD (r_cF1-ADHD=.50; r_cF2-ADHD=-.36; r_cF3-ADHD=-.66). Non-familial influences showed the same factor structure, except for IQ that clustered with digit span measures. Non-familial influences on MRT and RTV largely overlapped with those on ADHD, while other non-familial effects were largely measure-specific. By using a broad range of cognitive and neurophysiological measures within a family study, we identified three partially separable familial factors that substantially captured influences shared between cognitive-neurophysiological measures and ADHD in adolescence and adulthood. These results reveal multiple familial and non-familial processes underlying cognitive and brain impairments in persistent ADHD.

Authors

Giorgia Michelini (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Celeste Cheung (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Viryanaga Kitsune (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Daniel Brandeis (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany;)
Tobia Banaschewski (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany;)
Grainne McLoughlin (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Philip Asherson (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Fruhling Rijsdijk (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)
Jonna Kuntsi (King’s College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK)

Topic Areas

Developmental Disorders (e.g. ADHD) , Psychopathology (e.g., Internalizing, Externalizing, Psychosis) , Cognition: Education, Intelligence, Memory, Attention

Session

3B-OS » Developmental Disorders (15:30 - Thursday, 29th June, Sal D)

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