The Relationship Between Executive Function Deficits and DSM -5-Defined ADHD Symptoms
Abstract
Objectives: To identify the relationship between the core Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) ADHD symptoms and executive function deficits (EFDs), to evaluate ADHD characteristics of those with executive dysfunction (ED), and to examine the predictive utility of the Adult ADHD Investigator Symptom Rating Scale (AISRS) in identifying those with adult ADHD and ED. Method : Two samples (referred and primary care practice) were pooled together for present analysis. Results : Final analysis included 297 respondents, 171 with adult ADHD. Spearman correlation coefficients and binary logistic regressions demonstrated that ADHD inattentive (IA) and hyperactive-impulsive (H-I) symptoms were moderately to strongly correlated with and highly predictive of EFDs. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an AISRS DSM 18-item score of ⩾ 28 was most predictive of clinical ED. Conclusion : ADHD symptoms were strongly correlated with and predictive of EFDs, clinicians should screen adults with ADHD for EFDs and ADHD treatment providers should track EFD improvement in addition to DSM-5 ADHD symptoms.
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The comparison between clinical and control groups revealed clear differences in cognitive indices linked to executive functioning, consistent with previous research.
“First, the comparison between the clinical and control groups revealed clear differences in cognitive indices linked to executive functioning, consistent with previous research [35, 44, 45, 46].”
From ADHD, Subtypes and Cognitive Performance: WISC-V as a Support Tool for Diagnostic Assessment (2026) · cites this paper as [45]
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ADHD, Subtypes and Cognitive Performance: WISC-V as a Support Tool for Diagnostic Assessment
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- Authors
- Silverstein, M. J., Faraone, S. V., Leon, T. L., Biederman, J., Spencer, T. J., & Adler, L. A.
- Affiliations
- New York University (US)
- SUNY Upstate Medical University (US)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Adler, Lenard A.
- Venue
- Journal of Attention Disorders
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2018-10-08
- Volume
- 24
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 41-51
- ISSN
- 1087-0547 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-1246
- OpenAlex
- W2898034871
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 24
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1
- FWCI
- 7.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Attention Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- DataStat, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI
- New York University School of Medicine (Office of Industrial Liaison)
- 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 › Historical and Modern Theater Studies
- Keywords
- executive dysfunction, adult ADHD, inattentive symptoms, hyperactive-impulsive symptoms, symptom screening, treatment outcome monitoring
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Cognition Disorders, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Executive Function
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