While Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychological disorders diagnosed during development, adult ADHD remains vastly under recognized and undertreated. In an effort to better understand current issues with adult ADHD assessment, this study examined the relationship between symptoms, impairment, and executive functioning. Results indicate that among individuals who screened negative for ADHD, those higher in executive function reported experiencing significantly less impairment than those lower in executive function. Executive function was shown to have a negative relationship with impairment and ADHD symptomology was shown to have a positive relationship with impairment. Additionally, impairment was significantly predicted by ADHD symptoms and executive function, and there was a significant interaction between executive function and ADHD symptoms in predicting impairment. Understanding the relationship between executive function, ADHD symptoms, and impairment is critically important in better understanding adult ADHD.

Increased mental health difficulties were reported in Canadian children as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the pandemic has impacted families as well. The purpose of this thesis was: 1) to examine fluctuations in children’s mental health symptoms and mindful parenting across the 2020-2021 academic year; 2) to examine whether children’s symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity at the beginning of the 2020-2021 academic year were associated with mindful parenting at the end of the academic year; 3) to examine whether children’s depressive and anxiety symptoms at the end of the year moderated this relationship and; 4) to examine how child age and gender affected these relationships. Parents of 114 young children in a large Canadian city participated in this study in the Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021. Parents completed several self-report scales used to measure children’s mental health symptomatology and mindfulness in parenting. While there were no significant changes in children’s mental health symptoms or mindful parenting across the time points, children’s symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were significantly, negatively associated with mindful parenting across the pandemic year, and children’s depressive symptoms moderated this relationship. Specifically, when children’s depressive symptoms were low or average it was found that higher symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity were associated with lower levels of mindful parenting among parents of young girls. Results may inform practitioners about which families require additional support during the pandemic and beyond.

Reward-based learning is the ability to alter our future behavior following a novel reward. Dysregulation in this system has been linked to different forms of adult and pediatric psychopathologies such as mood disorders, for which it has proved to be an important treatment target given its link to broader health outcomes for these disorders. However, more research is needed to better understand its underlying mechanisms in the pediatric population. The current study examined how probabilistic reward learning, feedback-related negativity (FRN; an event-related potential from EEG), and dimensional ADHD symptom severity relate in adolescents with prominent mood symptoms. The final sample included 36 adolescents (72.2% female; aged 13 to 17) who completed a Probabilistic Reward Task (PRT) during EEG recording. Results revealed an inverse relationship between FRN mean amplitude and the reward learning score, independent of mood and ADHD symptoms. We also found that teens with increased overall ADHD symptom severity showed a larger (i.e., more negative voltage) FRN amplitude and a lower reward learning score. Exploratory analyses also showed that as ADHD inattentive symptom severity increased, FRN mean amplitude became more negative and reward learning score decreased. No significant relationship was found with ADHD hyperactive/impulsive symptom severity. In conclusion, our results showed that a poor modulation of behavior based on prior reward contingencies was related to an increase in dimensional ADHD symptom severity in a sample of adolescents with prominent mood difficulties. This behavioral dysfunction was also reflected by a blunted neural habituation to reward feedback as evidenced by a larger FRN mean amplitude. Additionally, exploratory analyses highlighted how the relationship between overall ADHD symptom severity and FRN may be driven especially by symptoms of inattention vs. hyperactivity/impulsivity. Results suggest deficits in reward learning that could impact response to behavioral therapies in youth with mood disorders and comorbid inattentive ADHD.

Externalizing disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) have a high prevalence rate in both children of alcoholics and in those with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). These disorders are also predictors of alcohol dependence (alcdep), heritable, and share an underlying genetic liability with alcdep. Furthermore, a mother who drinks while pregnant is likely to be alcohol dependent (AD), and vice-versa. This study incorporated these factors into one model, including as well as a measure of broad genetic risk for ADHD and alcdep to test for the contributions of these effects simultaneously. An independent sample was used to confirm the results for PAE and broad genetic risk. The hypothesis is that PAE will increase the risk to ADHD but not to CD or ODD.

Research has captured a notable increase in the diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the United States. This increase in ADHD diagnosis is also seen in children in military communities. A gap in the literature exists regarding how military deployment affects the presentation of ADHD symptoms of children aged 3 to 15 in military families. The study examined the effect of military deployment status on children aged 3 to 15 with symptoms of ADHD. Participants were 164 military families, representative of the diversity of the military, from military bases around Southern California. Each participant responded to 2 questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire and the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Patient Rating Scale for parents. The independent variable was military deployment status (deployment > 6 months, deployment < 6 months, or no deployment) within the previous 48 months. The dependent variable was ADHD symptoms. The covariates were ethnicity, family structure, and parents-age. Results of chi-square and hierarchical logistic regression analyses showed that there was no statistically significant relationship between parents-deployment status and ADHD symptoms of children. When covariates were added to the model, only older parental age predicted higher levels of symptoms in children. Results may be used to educate all involved parties and provide effective strategies, to enhance social development, and to compensate for periods of absence.

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Antecedents: No hi ha gaire coneixement sobre el neurodesenvolupament de preescolars i la seva susceptibilitat enfront a factors ambientals. Objectius: Avaluar les respostes del neurodesenvolupament en nens i les seves característiques psicomètriques, i, si factors ambientals primerencs (ex., duració de la lactància materna i mares que fumen) poden influir tals respostes. Mètodes: Dues cohorts prospectives des del naixement en població general (Menorca (N=421) i Ribera d'Ebre (N=79)) van se seguides fins als 4 anys d'edat durant un període de dos anys (2001-2003). Els nens van ser avaluats per tres psicòlegs i els seus respectius mestres per les funcions neuropsicològiques (MCSA), els comportaments de dèficit d'atenció i d'hiperactivitat (TDAH-DSM-IV) i la competència social (CPSCS); junt amb l'administració (en persona) a les mares de qüestionaris generals.Resultats: Les respostes van mostrar característiques psicomètriques acceptables i els patrons neuropsicològics del TDAH eren consistents amb altres troballes sobre TDAH. La lactància materna de llarga durada estava associada amb una millora de totes les àrees comportamentals avaluades. Fumar durant l'embaràs estava associat a puntuacions cognitives més baixes.Conclusions: Avaluar el neurodesenvolupament a preescolars sans és factible i necessari per investigar efectes primerencs de factors ambientals i aplicar polítiques preventives de salut pública. / Background: Little is known about neurodevelopment among preschoolers and its susceptibility to environmental factors.Objectives: Assess neurodevelopmental outcomes and their psychometric characteristics in children; and, if early environmental factors (i.e., duration of breastfeeding and maternal smoking) influence the neurobehavioral outcomes. Methods: Two prospective population-based birth cohorts (Menorca (N=421) and Ribera d'Ebre county (N=79)) were followed up at the age of 4 years during a two year period (2001-2003). Children were assessed by three psychologists and their respective teachers for neuropsychological functions (MCSA), inattention-hyperactivity behaviors (ADHD-DSM-IV) and social behavior (CPSCS); in addition to maternal in person general questionnaires. Results: Outcomes showed acceptable psychometric characteristics and ADHD neuropsychological patterns were consistent with other ADHD findings. Long-term breastfeeding was associated with the improvement of all behavioral areas assessed. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was associated with lower cognitive scores.Conclusions: Assessing neurodevelopment in healthy preschoolers is feasible and necessary to investigate early effects of environmental factors and apply public health preventive policies.