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
. 2019 Jan:96:93-115.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.009. Epub 2018 Oct 24.

Overlaps and distinctions between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in young adulthood: Systematic review and guiding framework for EEG-imaging research

Alex Lau-Zhu  1 , Anne Fritz  2 , Gráinne McLoughlin  2
Affiliations

Overlaps and distinctions between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder in young adulthood: Systematic review and guiding framework for EEG-imaging research

Alex Lau-Zhu et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently co-occur. However, we know little about the neural basis of the overlaps and distinctions between these disorders, particularly in young adulthood - a critical time window for brain plasticity across executive and socioemotional domains. Here, we systematically review 75 articles investigating ADHD and ASD in young adult samples (mean ages 16-26) using cognitive tasks, with neural activity concurrently measured via electroencephalography (EEG) - the most accessible neuroimaging technology. The majority of studies focused on event-related potentials (ERPs), with some beginning to capitalise on oscillatory approaches. Overlapping and specific profiles for ASD and ADHD were found mainly for four neurocognitive domains: attention processing, performance monitoring, face processing and sensory processing. No studies in this age group directly compared both disorders or considered dual diagnosis with both disorders. Moving forward, understanding of ADHD, ASD and their overlap in young adulthood would benefit from an increased focus on cross-disorder comparisons, using similar paradigms and in well-powered samples and longitudinal cohorts.

Keywords: ADHD; Autism; EEG; ERP; Neurodevelopmental disorders; Young adulthood.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Alain C., Arnott S.R., Picton T.W. Bottom-up and top-down influences on auditory scene analysis: evidence from event-related brain potentials. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 2001;27:1072–1089. - PubMed
    1. Althaus M., Groen Y., Wijers A.A., Noltes H., Tucha O., Hoekstra P.J. Oxytocin enhances orienting to social information in a selective group of high-functioning male adults with autism spectrum disorder. Neuropsychologia. 2015;79:53–69. - PubMed
    1. Alvarez J.A., Emory E. Executive function and the frontal lobes: a meta-analytic review. Neuropsychol. Rev. 2006;16:17–42. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . 5th ed. American Psychiatric Publishing; Arlington, VA: 2013. Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders.
    1. Anckarsäter H., Stahlberg O., Larson T., Hakansson C., Jutblad S.-B., Niklasson L., Nydén A., Wentz E., Westergren S., Cloninger C.R., Gillberg C., Rastam M. The impact of ADHD and autism spectrum disorders on temperament, character, and personality development. Am. J. Psychiatry. 2006;163:1239. - PubMed

Publication types