Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Jul 1;43(6):636-644.
doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsy002.

Young Adult Outcomes for Children With 22q11 Deletion Syndrome and Comorbid ADHD

Lea E Taylor  1 , Wendy R Kates  2 , Wanda Fremont  2 , Kevin M Antshel  1   2
Affiliations

Young Adult Outcomes for Children With 22q11 Deletion Syndrome and Comorbid ADHD

Lea E Taylor et al. J Pediatr Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a common microdeletion syndrome associated with a variety of negative health, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. 22q11DS is comorbid with many psychiatric disorders including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The current study aimed to investigate the cognitive, behavioral, and functional outcomes that a childhood ADHD diagnosis predicts to in adulthood.

Methods: This longitudinal study followed 52 individuals with 22q11DS over 9 years. Childhood ADHD was operationalized both categorically (Diagnostic and statistical manual - 4th edition (DSM-IV) ADHD diagnoses) and dimensionally (inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms) and was tested as predictors of young adult outcomes.

Results: As young adults, children with 22q11DS + baseline ADHD had more parent-reported executive dysfunction and lower levels of clinician-rated overall functioning than those with 22q11DS yet without ADHD. Dimensional symptoms of ADHD in childhood did not predict young adult outcomes. No self-report differences emerged between those with and without baseline ADHD. The majority (82.4%) of individuals with 22q11DS + baseline ADHD were never treated with an ADHD medication.

Conclusions: A categorical diagnosis of ADHD in childhood predicted a greater variety of worse outcomes than dimensional levels of ADHD symptoms. Despite the significant impact of comorbid ADHD in 22q11DS, evidence-based treatment rates were low.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Achenbach T. M., Rescorla L. A. (2003). Manual for the ASEBA adult forms and profiles. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont.
    1. Antshel K. M., Faraone S. V., Fremont W., Monuteaux M. C., Kates W. R., Doyle A., Mick E., Biederman J. (2007). Comparing ADHD in velocardiofacial syndrome to idiopathic ADHD. A preliminary study. Journal of Attention Disorders, 11, 64–73. doi: 10.1177/1087054707299397 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Antshel K. M., Hendricks K., Shprintzen R., Fremont W., Higgins A. M., Faraone S. V., Kates W. R. (2013). The longitudinal course of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in velo-cardio-facial syndrome. Journal of Pediatrics, 163, 187–193. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2012.12.026 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Antshel K. M., Phillips M. H., Gordon M., Barkley R., Faraone S. V. (2006). Is ADHD a valid disorder in children with intellectual delays? Clinical Psychology Review, 26, 555–572. - PubMed
    1. APA. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (4th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Publication types