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Evaluating the Utility of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Discriminating Among DSM-IV ADHD Subtypes

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Abstract

The objective of the current study was to evaluate how the inclusion of 3 Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) symptoms in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnostic criteria influences the external validity of the ADHD subtypes. The sample comprised 228 children (166 boys, 62 girls) ranging in age from 5–18 years who were referred to clinics for attentional, behavioral, and/or learning problems and diagnosed with DSM-IV ADHD (124 Combined type, 81 Inattentive type, 23 Hyperactive-Impulsive type). Parent ratings of ADHD symptoms were obtained using the Emory Combined Rating Scale (ECRS), which assesses symptoms of the common DSM-IV childhood psychiatric disorders. Regression analyses incorporating planned comparisons were conducted to examine how the inclusion of SCT symptoms affects differences among ADHD subtypes on several external validity indicators (i.e., gender, age-of-onset, and overlapping conditions). The regression analyses did not yield any significant differences in gender ratios, mean age-of-onset, or overlapping externalizing or internalizing problems when the ADHD Inattentive type was subdivided into high- versus low-SCT groups. In conclusion, the current results suggest that the inclusion of parent-reported SCT symptoms in the ADHD diagnostic criteria has limited utility for isolating diagnostically meaningful subgroups of the Inattentive type or for enhancing the external validity of the ADHD subtypes in clinic-referred samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA

    Kelly M. Harrington & Irwin D. Waldman

  2. Behavioral Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine, 150 South Huntington Ave. (116B-4), Boston, MA, 02130, USA

    Kelly M. Harrington

Authors
  1. Kelly M. Harrington
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  2. Irwin D. Waldman
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Correspondence to Kelly M. Harrington.

Additional information

Kelly M. Harrington’s contribution to the writing of this manuscript was supported, in part, by NIMH training grant T32MH019836 (awarded to Terence M. Keane).

The project described herein was supported in part by NIMH grant K01-MH01818 (awarded to Irwin D. Waldman).

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Harrington, K.M., Waldman, I.D. Evaluating the Utility of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo in Discriminating Among DSM-IV ADHD Subtypes. J Abnorm Child Psychol 38, 173–184 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-009-9355-8

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