An international study with the collaboration of the IISPV confirms that the diagnosis of ADHD in preschool ages is as reliable as the late one

A study published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry (the most prestigious in the field of psychiatry) and which included the participation of IISPV researcher Jordi Julvez, has confirmed that the first diagnosis of Attention Deficit hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is as reliable as it is later in life. This work refutes the belief that has recently prevailed in the scientific community about the diagnosis of this disorder in preschool ages (from 3 to 6 years) may not be reliable since the behaviors inherent to these young children (the central nervous system is still developing and it is not enough mature) can be confused with the symptomatology of the ADHD.

The research has collected the results of 41 cohorts or studies carried out in 15 different countries, with a total sample of 4,708 children with ADHD. It is the largest longitudinal study carried out to date in this field: these children have been followed for a minimum of 4 years and, in some cases, they have been evaluated over a period of 33 years. Jordi Julvez, the IISPV researcher who participated (leads the Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Research Group, also known by its acronym: NeuroÈpia) points out that “the study conclusions show us not to be afraid of making mistakes in the diagnosis of ADHD if we assess them at an early age; in addition, we must take into account that detecting the ADHD early in life will allow the child to start psychotherapy treatment earlier; the younger the boy or girl, the more plastic his/her brain is”.

The scientific literature that exists around this topic indicates that the most appropriate ages for the diagnosis of ADHD are from 7 to 8 years old, so this contribution represents a paradigm shift in the approach to the disorder and in the perception of its early symptoms.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between 4% and 6% of the world’s population is diagnosed with ADHD disorder.

This study has been led by the researchers Samuele Cortese, from the Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences of the University of Southampton) and Corentin J. Gosling (Université Paris Nanterre). Moreover, researchers Jordi Sunyer and Monica Guxens (from ISGlobal) also have participated in it.

Bibliografic reference: Synergy for the Influence of the Month of Birth in ADHD (SIMBA) study group. Association between relative age at school and persistence of ADHD in prospective studies: an individual participant data meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry. 2023 Oct 25:S2215-0366(23)00272-9. doi: 10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00272-9. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37898142.