Identifying subgroups of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder from the psychopathological and neuropsychological profiles
Open accessAbstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) advocates the dimensional approach in characterizing mental disorders. We followed RDoC to characterize children with ADHD using profiling based on the cognitive and psychopathological domains. We aimed to identify and validate ADHD subtypes with different clinical characteristics and functional impairments. We recruited 362 drug‐naïve children with ADHD and 103 typically developing controls. The cluster analysis was used to identify subgroups based on the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). The subgroups' clinical characteristics and functional impairments were assessed using the WEISS Functional Impairment Rating Scale‐Parent Report (WFIRS‐P) and the Conners Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). The cluster analysis yielded four subgroups: (1) ADHD with severe impairment in psychopathology and executive functions (EF), (2) ADHD with mild executive dysfunctions and normal‐level psychopathology, (3) ADHD with severe externalizing problems and (4) ADHD with severe executive dysfunctions. These subgroups showed different clinical characteristics and degrees of functional impairment. The EF impairment group displayed more serious learning problems and worse life skills than the externalizing group. The two groups with externalizing problems ( i.e. the severe impairment group and the externalizing group) both exhibited higher rates of the combined subtype of ADHD and higher rates of comorbid ODD. Different subtypes of ADHD displayed different profiles of internalizing and externalizing problems and levels of executive dysfunctions. In particular, the subtype with severe impairment in EF exhibited more learning problems and worse life skills, suggesting EF is a critical target for intervention in children with ADHD.
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Recent person-centered studies using latent profile, cluster, and network analyses have identified distinct executive-function profiles in children and adolescents with ADHD, often based on large samples and multidimensional assessment batteries.
“Recent person-centered studies using latent profile, cluster, and network analyses have identified distinct executive-function profiles in children and adolescents with ADHD, often based on large samples and multidimensional assessment batteries [10,11,12].”
From Executive Function Profiles in ADHD and Dyslexia: A Mixed-Method Neurocognitive Analysis (2026) · cites this paper as [12]
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Executive Function Profiles in ADHD and Dyslexia: A Mixed-Method Neurocognitive Analysis
Cucu Ciuhan, G. (2026) · Neurology International · doi:10.3390/neurolint18060110
“Recent person-centered studies using latent profile, cluster, and network analyses have identified distinct executive-function profiles in children and adolescents with ADHD, often based on large samples and multidimensional assessment batteries [10–12].”
- Authors
- Zhang, S., Yang, T., Wu, Z., Wang, Y., Lui, S. S. Y., Yang, B., & Chan, R. C. K.
- Affiliations
- Shenzhen Children's Hospital (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital) Beijing China
- University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Shenzhen Children's Hospital Shenzhen China
- Venue
- Journal of Neuropsychology
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2023-06-28
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 173-189
- ISSN
- 1748-6645 (ISSN-L)
- 1748-6653
- OpenAlex
- W4382344195
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4
- FWCI
- 2.65
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hub.hku.hk
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Institutional Repository of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) (submittedVersion)
- The HKU Scholars Hub (University of Hong Kong) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Funders
- Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province (2019A 1515110700)
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (82101613)
- Sanming Project of Medicine in Shenzhen (SZSM201612036)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD subtypes, executive dysfunction, functional disability, externalizing problems, internalizing problems, learning difficulties, life skills, dimensional classification, Research Domain Criteria, children, neuropsychological profile
- MeSH terms
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Humans, Surveys and Questionnaires, Comorbidity, Executive Function, Cognitive Dysfunction
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