Conceptual and methodological challenges in ADHD research: Understanding risk factors and optimizing outcomes

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Moderator: Joanne Cotton
Panellists: Scott Kollins, Joel Nigg, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, James Swanson

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 5% of children worldwide (Polanczyk et al., 2014). Functioning and presentation vary widely by individual, but at the group level ADHD is associated with significant impairments in childhood and adulthood (Erskine et al., 2016; MTA, 1999), and high socioeconomic costs (Matza et al., 2005). Thus, understanding the developmental course of ADHD and moderators of risk is a complex and incredibly important task.

Pursuit of this understanding is currently affected by challenges to traditional conceptualizations and methods used to study ADHD. Example challenges include findings that: i) individual differences can be better understood using continuous (rather than categorical) measures of ADHD, ii) both genetic and environmental factors contribute to risk, iii) symptom overlap across DSM disorders, comorbidity, and heterogeneity across cases is confusing and prevalent, and iv) medication can be effective but has important limitations. Additionally, there are pros and cons to different study designs, i.e. traditional experimental clinical studies vs. analysis of large observational datasets. Considerations like the COVID-19 pandemic, significant funder investments in large collaborations and datasets, increasingly accessible advanced tools and methods, and research questions that cannot be answered without large, representative, and longitudinal samples have all increased the appeal and take-up of secondary data.

In this conversation roundtable, world-leading experts on ADHD will discuss current challenges to conceptualizations and methodology, and how these may impact research, practice, and individuals with ADHD now and in the future.

Sub Unit

• Developmental Disabilities

Moderator

• Joanne Cotton, University of Cambridge

Panelists

• Scott Kollins, Duke University

• Joel T Nigg, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)

• Edmund Sonuga-Barke, KIng’s College London

• James Swanson, University of California, Irvine