ADHD symptoms and cognitive abilities in the midlife cohort of the PATH Through Life Study

Abstract

Objective: ADHD is a lifelong condition, but it remains understudied in older adults. We examined the effects of ADHDrelated inattention and hyperactivity symptoms on cognitive abilities in middle-age adults. Method: ADHD symptoms and cognitive abilities were accessed in a population-based sample (N = 2,091). Multiple regression analyses evaluated the effect of dimensional and categorical measures of ADHD on performance in cognitive tests. Results: ADHD symptoms are negatively associated with measures of reaction time, processing speed, task-switching, mental flexibility, and an aggregate measure of cognition. Inattention and hyperactive symptoms have reciprocal effects on performance in some cognitive tasks. Significant subclinical effects are present. Conclusion: Our demonstration that cognitive effects of ADHD symptoms are present in the middle-age population provides the impetus to investigate whether these effects contribute to cognitive decline in late age and whether identification and treatment of ADHD symptoms in middle age might be effective in reducing late-age cognitive decline.