ATTENTION-DEFICIT HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER - RESIDUAL TYPE

Evidence for the persistence into adult life of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has accumulated in publications of the past two decades. As reviewed here, retrospective and longitudinal data suggest that a residual type of ADHD (ADHD-RT) can be recognized. Diagnostic historical interview and checklist criteria, primarily the Utah set developed by Wender and colleagues, have been proposed. The difficulties of obtaining reliable and valid historical information, which are greater than those encountered in diagnosing childhood cases, add to the desirability of some direct examination for ADHD-RT. It is proposed herein that assessment of the neuropsychological domain of executive function-broader than, yet encompassing, several facets of attention-offers opportunities for documentation of the cognitive correlates of ADHD-RT, its responsiveness to therapeutic intervention, and clues as to its neurobiological foundation.