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. 2019 Oct;9(10):e01401.
doi: 10.1002/brb3.1401. Epub 2019 Sep 2.

Impaired empathy but no theory of mind deficits in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Mona Abdel-Hamid  1   2 , Franziska Niklewski  2 , Philipp Heßmann  1 , Nika Guberina  3 , Melanie Kownatka  2 , Markus Kraemer  4   5 , Norbert Scherbaum  2 , Isabel Dziobek  6 , Claudia Bartels  1 , Jens Wiltfang  1 , Bernhard Kis  1   2   7
Affiliations

Impaired empathy but no theory of mind deficits in adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Mona Abdel-Hamid et al. Brain Behav. 2019 Oct.

Abstract

Objective: The cognitive capacity to change perspective is referred to as theory of mind (ToM). ToM deficits are detectable in a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Since executive abilities are closely associated with ToM skills, we suspected that due to a common neuropsychological basis, ToM deficits exist in treatment-naïve adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: Performance of treatment-naïve adults with ADHD (N = 30) in tasks assessing executive functions (Trail Making Test, Stroop color-word test, and Test Battery for Attentional Performance), empathy skills (Cambridge Behaviour Scale), and ToM (Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition) was compared with that of a healthy control group (N = 30) matched according to basic demographic variables.

Results: Compared to healthy controls, treatment-naïve adults with ADHD showed deficits in various executive functions and the ability to empathize (all p < .05). However, no performance differences were found with regard to ToM (all n.s.).

Conclusions: Since studies in juveniles with ADHD often show impaired ToM performance, it is conceivable that ToM deficits may become attenuated due to neuronal development in adolescence. Furthermore, our findings imply that ToM impairments, even when present in adult ADHD, appear to be independent of executive deficits and might be explained by comorbid disorders.

Keywords: adult ADHD; comorbidity; empathy; executive functions; theory of mind.

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Conflict of interest statement

BK has received honoraria for lectures from Medice and Servier. In addition, he is an advisory board member for Medice and Servier. MAH has received honoraria from Medice for the compilation of educational brochures. The other authors have nothing to report or to disclose.

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