psychiatrist

This work may not be copied, distributed, displayed, published, reproduced, transmitted, modified, posted, sold, licensed, or used for commercial purposes. By downloading this file, you are agreeing to the publisher’s Terms & Conditions.

Article

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptom Expression: A Comparison of Individual Age at Onset Using Item Response Theory

Hugo Peyre, MD, MPH; Nicolas Hoertel, MD, MPH; Samuele Cortese, MD, PhD; Eric Acquaviva, MD, PhD; Pierre De Maricourt, MD; Frédéric Limosin, MD, PhD; and Richard Delorme, MD, PhD

Published: April 15, 2014

Article Abstract

Background: The DSM-IV age at onset criterion for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been a subject of debate. In DSM-5, the required age at onset (ie, the age by which impairing symptoms must have been present) has increased from 7 years to 12 years. The present study examined measurement properties of ADHD symptoms according to age at onset.

Method: Data were derived from the 2004-2005 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, which included 34,653 US participants. Among participants with a lifetime DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD (assessed using the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule-IV), we compared the psychometric properties of the 18 ADHD symptoms according to 3 categories of age at onset (≤ 7 years, > 7 and ≤ 12 years, and > 12 and ≤ 18 years). A 2-parameter item response model was used to estimate differential item functioning (DIF) between these groups.

Results: 364 participants with a lifetime DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD had an age at onset ≤ 7 years, 252 had an age at onset > 7 and ≤ 12 years, and 148 had an age at onset > 12 and ≤ 18 years. In both dimensions of ADHD (ie, inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity), there was no significant DIF between age at onset groups.

Conclusions: Expression of DSM-IV ADHD symptoms was not affected by age at onset in the 3 groups considered. This study provides psychometric support to the change in the age criterion introduced by DSM-5 and further suggests that the age at onset criterion could be extended to 18 years without changing the psychometric properties of the ADHD symptoms.

J Clin Psychiatry 2014;75(4):386-392

Submitted: June 12, 2013; accepted December 18, 2013 (doi:10.4088/JCP.13m08638).

Corresponding author: Hugo Peyre, MD, Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d’ Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 29 rue d’ Ulm, 75005 Paris, France ([email protected]).

Volume: 75

Quick Links:

Continue Reading…

Subscribe to read the entire article

$40.00

Buy this Article as a PDF

References