Sex Differences in ADHD Symptom Severity

Overview

Journal J Child Psychol Psychiatry

Specialties Psychiatry
Psychology

Date 2014 Oct 7

PMID 25283790

Citations 92

Authors

Anne B Arnett

Bruce F Pennington

Erik G Willcutt

John C DeFries

Richard K Olson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Males show higher rates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than do females. Potential explanations include genuine etiological differences or artifact.

Methods: 2,332 twin and sibling youth participated in behavioral and cognitive testing. Partially competing models of symptom severity distribution differences, the mean difference, and variance difference models, were tested within a randomly selected subsample. The Delta method was used to test for mediation of sex differences in ADHD symptom severity by processing speed, inhibition and working memory.

Results: The combined mean difference and variance difference models fully explained the sex difference in ADHD symptom severity. Cognitive endophenotypes mediated 14% of the sex difference effect.

Conclusions: The sex difference in ADHD symptom severity is valid and may be due to differing genetic and cognitive liabilities between the sexes.

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