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Original Article

Neuropsychological Functioning and Psychosocial Outcome in Adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder

Published Online:March 10, 2015https://doi.org/10.1024/1016-264X/a000129

Abstract

This study explores the association of neuropsychological functioning with ADHD-symptoms and psychosocial functioning in a clinical sample of 131 adults with ADHD. Neuropsychological functioning was assessed with the computerized Test Battery of Attentional Performance (TAP). Overall psychosocial impairment was assessed with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Neuropsychological performance was impaired in 39.6 % of the ADHD-patients meeting a predefined impairment criterion of a perfomance reduction of 1.5 standard deviations below normative controls in ≥ 2 TAP-subtests; 28.4 % of the patients showed regular performance in all neuropsychological tests. Severity of neuropsychological impairment was inversely correlated to severity of psychosocial impairment (GAF score; = -.24, p < .001) but not to childhood or adult ADHD symptoms. Overall severity of neuropsychological impairment explained 10 % (p < .05) of variance of psychosocial impairment.


ADHS im Erwachsenenalter: Zusammenhang von neuropsychologischer Beeinträchtigung und psychosozialem Funktionsniveau

Die Studie untersucht an einer klinischen Stichprobe von 131 Erwachsenen mit einer ADHS den Zusammenhang von neuropsychologischer Beeinträchtigung mit psychosozialem Funktionsniveau und ADHS-Symptomatik. Die neuropsychologische Untersuchung erfolgte mit der computerbasierten Testbatterie zur Aufmerksamkeitsprüfung (TAP). Das globale psychosoziale Funktionsniveau wurde mit der Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) erfasst. Bei 39.6 % der Patienen zeigte sich eine neuropsychologische Beeinträchtigung mit einer Testleistung von ≥ 1,5 Standardabweichungen unterhalb der Normpopulation in ≥ 2 TAP-Untertests; 28.4 % der Patienten zeigten keine neuropsychologische Beeinträchtigung. Schweregrad von neuropsychologischer und psychosozialer Beeinträchtigung waren invers korreliert (GAF-Score = -.24, p < .001). Die neuropsychologische Beeinträchtigung erklärte 10 % (p < .05) der Varianz der psychosozialen Beeinträchtigung. Ein Zusammenhang von neuropsychologischer Beeinträchtigung und aktueller oder ADHS-Symptomatik im Kindesalter fand sich nicht.

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