Neurocognitive Profiles of Early Adulthood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Heesung So; Soon-Beom Hong

doi:10.5765/jkacap.240025

https://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.240025

Neurocognitive Profiles of Early Adulthood Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2025; 36(1): 26-35

Published online January 1, 2025

Heesung So¹ and Soon-Beom Hong^1,2,3

¹Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Korea
²Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
³Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence to: Soon-Beom Hong, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03080, Korea
Tel: +82-2-2072-4208, Fax: +82-2-747-2471, E-mail: hsbmdmore@hanmail.net

Received June 19, 2024; Revised October 14, 2024; Accepted October 30, 2024.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract: Objectives: This study examined the neurocognitive profiles of early adulthood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients using the Korean version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, 4th Edition (K-WAIS-IV) and Continuous Performance Test 3rd Edition (CPT-3) assessment results.
Methods: A total of 105 individuals underwent the K-WAIS-IV assessment, and 68 participants completed the CPT-3. We examined the differences between intelligence subindex scores using paired t-tests and applied Pearson’s correlation analysis to determine the correlation between the K-WAIS-IV and CPT-3 scores.
Results: Working Memory Index scores were significantly lower than Verbal Comprehension Index scores, whereas Processing Speed Index (PSI) scores were significantly lower than all three other subindex scores. Significant negative correlations were found between all four K-WAIS-IV subindex scores and the CPT-3 scores for Detectability, Omissions, Commissions, Perseverations, Hit Reaction Time, Hit Reaction Time Standard Deviation, and Variability.
Conclusion: The PSI of the K-WAIS-IV can be considered a useful predictor in early adulthood ADHD patients combined with the CPT-3 examination.; Keywords : Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Neurocognitive tests; Wechsler Intelligence Scales; Continuous Performance Task; Working memory; Processing speed