Publication Date
1-1-2024
Journal
Journal of Attention Disorders
DOI
10.1177/10870547231197215
PMID
37694675
PMCID
PMC10676030
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
9-11-2023
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Published Open-Access
yes
Keywords
Adult, Humans, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Prevalence, Epilepsy, Comorbidity, Seizures, ASRS, ADHD, seizures, diagnostic barriers
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Given the complex nature of seizure disorders and their treatments, ADHD may be underdiagnosed in this population. We hypothesized that a higher percentage of patients presenting to a seizure clinic would endorse ADHD symptoms compared to rates reported in the general population and that formal screening for ADHD symptoms would identify patients with previously undiagnosed comorbid ADHD.
METHODS: In this study, we surveyed 312 adults in a seizure clinic using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS-v1.1).
RESULTS: We found that 90 patients (28.8%) screened positive with the ASRS-v1.1, but only nine of these patients were able to complete neuropsychological testing,. Out of these patients, only one was diagnosed with possible ADHD.
CONCLUSION: Through this process, we identified many challenges to making a new ADHD diagnosis in this population, including attention deficits due to other medical or psychiatric diagnoses, a positive urine drug screen, lack of collateral report/information about developmental history, and barriers to neuropsychological evaluation.