Drinking alcohol to cope with hyperactive ADHD? Self-reports vs. continuous performance test in patients with ADHD and/or alcohol use disorder
- Rationale: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Continuous performance tests (CPTs) allow to measure ADHD related deficits in a laboratory setting. Most studies on this topic focused on CPTs measuring inattention or impulsivity, disregarding hyperactivity as one of the core symptoms of ADHD. Methods: We examined N = 47 in three groups (ADHD N = 19; AUD N = 16; ADHD + AUD N = 12) with questionnaires on ADHD core symptoms, executive functioning (EF), mind wandering, and quality of life (QoL). N = 46 (ADHD N = 16; AUD N = 16; ADHD + AUD N = 14) were examined with a CPT (QbTest®) that also measures motor activity objectively. Results: Inattention and impulsivity were significantly increased in AUD vs. ADHD and in AUD vs. ADHD + AUD. Hyperactivity was significantly higher in ADHD + AUD vs. ADHD and ADHD + AUD vs. AUD, but not in ADHD vs. AUD. EF was lower in both ADHD groups vs. AUD. Mind wandering was increased in both ADHD groups vs. AUD. QoL was significantly lower in ADHD + AUD compared to AUD. In contrast, results of the QbTest were not significantly different between groups. Conclusion: Questionnaires are more useful in assessing ADHD core symptoms than the QbTest®. Hyperactivity appears to be a relevant symptom in ADHD + AUD, suggesting a possible pathway from ADHD to AUD. The lower QoL in ADHD + AUD emphasizes the need for routine screening, diagnostic procedures and treatment strategies for this patient group.
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| Author: | Mathias LudererORCiDGND, Johanna Seidt, Sarah GerhardtORCiDGND, Sabine HoffmannORCiDGND, Sabine Vollstädt-KleinORCiDGND, Andreas ReifORCiDGND, Esther SobanskiORCiDGND |
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| URN: | urn:nbn:de:hebis:30:3-865674 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1112843 |
| ISSN: | 1664-0640 |
| Parent Title (English): | Frontiers in psychiatry |
| Publisher: | Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Place of publication: | Lausanne |
| Document Type: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Date of Publication (online): | 2023/03/06 |
| Date of first Publication: | 2023/03/06 |
| Publishing Institution: | Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg |
| Release Date: | 2024/08/26 |
| Tag: | alcohol use disorder (AUD); attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); continuous performance test; mind wandering; motor activity (MA); quality of life |
| Volume: | 14 |
| Issue: | art. 1112843 |
| Article Number: | 1112843 |
| Page Number: | 8 |
| First Page: | 1 |
| Last Page: | 8 |
| Note: | The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because the data contain information that would compromise research participant consent. We will provide data upon direct request by research colleagues following current data protection guidelines. Requests to access the datasets should be directed to ML, mathias.luderer@kgu.de. |
| Note: | Gefördert durch den Open-Access-Publikationsfonds der Goethe-Universität. |
| HeBIS-PPN: | 521206340 |
| Institutes: | Medizin |
| Dewey Decimal Classification: | 6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
| Sammlungen: | Universitätspublikationen |
| Open-Access-Publikationsfonds: | Medizin |
| Licence (German): |  Creative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International |
