TY - JOUR
T1 - Live fast, die young?
T2 - A review on the developmental trajectories of ADHD across the lifespan
AU - Franke, Barbara
AU - Michelini, Giorgia
AU - Asherson, Philip
AU - Banaschewski, Tobias
AU - Bilbow, Andrea
AU - Buitelaar, Jan K.
AU - Cormand, Bru
AU - Faraone, Stephen V.
AU - Ginsberg, Ylva
AU - Haavik, Jan
AU - Kuntsi, Jonna
AU - Larsson, Henrik
AU - Lesch, Klaus-Peter
AU - Ramos-Quiroga, J. Antoni
AU - Réthelyi, János M.
AU - Ribases, Marta
AU - Reif, Andreas
PY - 2018/9/6
Y1 - 2018/9/6
N2 - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly heritable and the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood. In recent decades, it has been appreciated that in a substantial number of cases the disorder does not remit in puberty, but persists into adulthood. Both in childhood and adulthood, ADHD is characterised by substantial comorbidity including substance use, depression, anxiety, and accidents. However, course and symptoms of the disorder and the comorbidities may fluctuate and change over time, and even age of onset in childhood has recently been questioned. Available evidence to date is poor and largely inconsistent with regard to the predictors of persistence versus remittance. Likewise, the development of comorbid disorders cannot be foreseen early on, hampering preventive measures. These facts call for a lifespan perspective on ADHD from childhood to old age. In this selective review, we summarise current knowledge of the long-term course of ADHD, with an emphasis on clinical symptom and cognitive trajectories, treatment effects over the lifespan, and the development of comorbidities. Also, we summarise current knowledge and important unresolved issues on biological factors underlying different ADHD trajectories. We conclude that a severe lack of knowledge on lifespan aspects in ADHD still exists for nearly every aspect reviewed. We encourage large-scale research efforts to overcome those knowledge gaps through appropriately granular longitudinal studies.
AB - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is highly heritable and the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in childhood. In recent decades, it has been appreciated that in a substantial number of cases the disorder does not remit in puberty, but persists into adulthood. Both in childhood and adulthood, ADHD is characterised by substantial comorbidity including substance use, depression, anxiety, and accidents. However, course and symptoms of the disorder and the comorbidities may fluctuate and change over time, and even age of onset in childhood has recently been questioned. Available evidence to date is poor and largely inconsistent with regard to the predictors of persistence versus remittance. Likewise, the development of comorbid disorders cannot be foreseen early on, hampering preventive measures. These facts call for a lifespan perspective on ADHD from childhood to old age. In this selective review, we summarise current knowledge of the long-term course of ADHD, with an emphasis on clinical symptom and cognitive trajectories, treatment effects over the lifespan, and the development of comorbidities. Also, we summarise current knowledge and important unresolved issues on biological factors underlying different ADHD trajectories. We conclude that a severe lack of knowledge on lifespan aspects in ADHD still exists for nearly every aspect reviewed. We encourage large-scale research efforts to overcome those knowledge gaps through appropriately granular longitudinal studies.
KW - Developmental trajectory
KW - Treatment
KW - Comorbidity
KW - Cognitive impairment
KW - Genetics
KW - Adult-onset ADHD
U2 - 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.001
DO - 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.001
M3 - Article
SN - 0924-977X
JO - European Neuropsychopharmacology
JF - European Neuropsychopharmacology
ER -