INTRODUCTION: Evidence from epidemiological studies has consistently shown an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that children with ADHD exposed to MSDP show a distinctive clinical and neurocognitive profile when compared with unexposed children. METHODS: Four hundred and thirty-six children diagnosed with ADHD were stratified by exposure to MSDP and compared with regard to severity of illness, comorbidity, IQ, and executive function as assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests. All comparisons were adjusted for socioeconomic status, ethnicity, mother's age at child's birth, and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. RESULTS: Exposed children had more severe behavioral problems with greater externalizing symptoms and more conduct and oppositional defiant disorder items, lower verbal IQ, and a sluggish cognitive profile on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Linear regression analyses revealed a dose-response relationship between the average number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy and verbal IQ, CPT omission errors T score and several other clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MSDP is associated with a more severe form of ADHD, characterized by more severe clinical manifestations and poorer neuropsychological performance. This phenotypic signature associated with MSDP may help to identify a more homogenous subgroup of children with ADHD.
INTRODUCTION: Evidence from epidemiological studies has consistently shown an association between maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that children with ADHD exposed to MSDP show a distinctive clinical and neurocognitive profile when compared with unexposed children. METHODS: Four hundred and thirty-six children diagnosed with ADHD were stratified by exposure to MSDP and compared with regard to severity of illness, comorbidity, IQ, and executive function as assessed by a battery of neuropsychological tests. All comparisons were adjusted for socioeconomic status, ethnicity, mother's age at child's birth, and maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy. RESULTS: Exposed children had more severe behavioral problems with greater externalizing symptoms and more conduct and oppositional defiant disorder items, lower verbal IQ, and a sluggish cognitive profile on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Linear regression analyses revealed a dose-response relationship between the average number of cigarettes smoked per day during pregnancy and verbal IQ, CPT omission errors T score and several other clinical variables. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that MSDP is associated with a more severe form of ADHD, characterized by more severe clinical manifestations and poorer neuropsychological performance. This phenotypic signature associated with MSDP may help to identify a more homogenous subgroup of children with ADHD.
Authors: Kristine Marceau; L Cinnamon Bidwell; Hollis C Karoly; Allison Schettini Evans; Alexandre A Todorov; Rohan H Palmer; Andrew C Heath; Valerie S Knopik Journal: J Abnorm Child Psychol Date: 2018-05
Authors: Filip S Polli; Theis H Ipsen; Maitane Caballero-Puntiverio; Tina Becher Østerbøg; Susana Aznar; Jesper T Andreasen; Kristi A Kohlmeier Journal: Mol Neurobiol Date: 2020-01-08 Impact factor: 5.590