Work

Impaired Decision-Making as a Young Adult Outcome of Girls Diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Childhood

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: We examined decision-making in young adulthood in a follow-up study of females diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) between 6 and 12 years. Participants with childhood ADHD (n = 114) and matched comparison females (n = 77), followed prospectively for 10 years, performed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) at ages 17-25 years. This task assesses preference for high-reward/high-risk chances that result in lower overall gains (disadvantageous decks of cards) compared to low-reward/low-risk chances that result in higher overall gains (advantageous decks of cards). Relative to comparison participants, young adult females with a history of ADHD did not increase their preference for advantageous decks across time blocks, suggesting difficulties in learning to change behavior over the course of the IGT. Overall, childhood diagnoses of ADHD were associated with disadvantageous decision-making in young adulthood. These results extend findings on decision-making in males with ADHD by demonstrating comparable levels of impairment in an all-female sample.

Source: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

DOI: 10.1017/s1355617712000975

Authors: Meghan Miller, Margaret Sheridan, Stephanie L. Cardoos, Stephen P. Hinshaw

Institutions: University of California, Berkeley, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University

Language: English

Topic: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: U.S. Public Health Service, National Institute of Mental Health