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ADHD Symptoms in Adults with Asperger’s Disorder: Findings from a Sample in Japan

Taisei Ohno, Masayuki Tani, Miki Igarashi, Yuka Okajima, Nobumasa Kato and Akira Iwanami*

Introduction: DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria do not allow co-diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but some researchers have noted that persons with PDD including Asperger’s disorder (AS) sometimes have symptoms similar to those of ADHD. The present study evaluated ADHD symptoms in adults with AS using Conner’s Adult ADHD Rating Scales screening version (CAARS-S:SV) in a Japanese sample.

Methods: The present study evaluated ADHD symptoms in 40 adults with AS and 38 normal adults using CAARS-S:SV, Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ), and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ). The AS and the normal control group did not differ significantly in age, sex ratio, or estimated IQ.

Results: Total, Inattention/Memory, and Hyperactivity/Restlessness scores of CAARS-S:SV were significantly higher in persons with AS than those in controls. In persons with AS, there was no significant correlation among three CAARS-S: SV scores and AQ.

Discussion: These findings indicated that adults with AS have considerable ADHD symptoms, as well as in childhood and adolescence reported in previous reports. The results that in persons with AS total score of AQ was not correlated with CAARS scores indicated that ASD and ADHD have different pathophysiology.