[Executive dysfunctions in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder]

Abstract

Introduction: Several different follow-up studies have shown that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can persist into adulthood.

Aim: To review the findings in adults with ADHD related to alterations in the executive functions.

Development: Research conducted among children with ADHD has revealed the existence of alterations in different tasks that evaluate the executive functions, such as the planning test, sustained attention tasks, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency and working memory tasks, as well as several inhibition response tasks. In adults with ADHD, despite the lower number of reports in the literature and the methodological shortcomings that exist in some studies, analogous results have also been described with respect to executive functioning, namely, disorders affecting inhibition response, the capacity for planning, difficulties in cognitive flexibility and verbal fluency, and problems with working memory, which include aspects of spatial working memory, logical or visual memory.

Conclusions: The findings we have available at present enable us to confirm the persistence of executive dysfunctions in adult patients with ADHD that are similar to those observed in children with ADHD.