ADHD is more common among adults who have sustained a TBI (Research summary)

What do we already know?

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was originally described among children and adolescents but is now recognized in the adult population as well

• ADHD is a psychiatric condition characterized by excessive inattention, hyperactivity, or impulsivity, either alone or in combination

Research with children and adolescents suggests there may be a link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and ADHD

• One study found that youth with ADHD who sustained a TBI had more difficulty with daily activities and more behavioural problems compared to those without ADHD
• TBI and ADHD have overlapping symptoms such as memory and attention difficulties, executive dysfunction, and impulsivity

ADHD may be both a potential risk factor and consequence of TBI

What did they want to know?

The goal of the study was to describe the association between lifetime TBI and ADHD in a population sample of adults.

What did they do?

Telephone survey of 3993 adults across Ontario, Canada (part of a larger study)

Lifetime diagnosis of TBI

• Asked about history of traumatic brain injury

Positive screen for current ADHD

• Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-V1.1 (questionnaire of ADHD symptoms)

Lifetime diagnosis of ADHD

• Diagnosis of ADHD by health care professional

What did they find?

17.1% of participants had a history of TBI

For the entire sample: 3.4% positive for current ADHD, 2.5% had diagnosed lifetime ADHD

• For those with TBI history: 6.6% positive for current ADHD, 5.9% had diagnosed lifetime ADHD
• This means the prevalence of ADHD is around 2x greater in adults with TBI compared to those without TBI

Those who sustained a TBI had greater odds of also screening positively for current ADHD and of reporting a lifetime diagnosis

• For those with TBI, the odds of screening positively for current ADHD were greater for those aged 18-29 and 50+
• There was no difference among age groups for lifetime diagnosis of ADHD

What does this mean?

Among adults with brain injury, a significant proportion screen positive for ADHD and have a history of ADHD

TBI history should be assessed during screening and assessment of ADHD in adults

• It is possible that adults with ADHD are more likely to engage in risky behaviours that could worsen any problems they experience post-TBI

Since this was a cross-sectional study (i.e., conducted at 1 point in time), we can’t determine causation (i.e., whether ADHD increases risk of TBI, TBI increases risk of ADHD, or both)

• Studies following participants over a long period (i.e., longitudinal studies) should be conducted to determine causation and to further describe the connection between TBI and ADHD at different ages

Source:

Ilie, G., Vingilis, E. R., Mann, R. E., Hamilton, H., Toplak, M., Adlaf, E. M., … & Cusimano, M. D. (2015). The association between traumatic brain injury and ADHD in a Canadian adult sample. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 69, 174-179.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.004

We summarize a recently published research study every week to give you current, evidence-based brain injury information.

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