Neuropsychological differentiation of adults with attention deficit disorder and autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Background:

Both Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by abnormalities in cognitive and executive domains. The diagnostic criteria of these neurodevelopmental disorders are described in behavioral terms. Criteria for developmental disorders have not been adjusted for adulthood, both in quantitative and qualitative terms. Furthermore there is a substantial symptomatic overlap on a behavioral and clinical level.Various executive functions have been proposed as cognitive endophenotypes.

Methods:

Based on the literature we hypothesised: 1)larger discrepancies between V-IQ and P-IQ. 2)lower scores on verbal comprehension, vocabulary and comprehension in the ASD group. 3)ADHD low on working memory, high processing speed and the opposite in ASD. 4)ADHD perform poorly on fluency and inhibition and perform well on the Rey, the WISC and planning (ToL).

The comparison was done in each 20 patients with ADHD and ASD.

Results:

it was only to a marginal extent possible to discriminate the groups on these neuropsychological functions.

Conclusions:

There is a considerable overlap between ASD and ADHD on several neuropsychological functions.