12.08.2015 | Sekretær Heidi Lindholt

Indbydelse til mini-seminar

v/gæsteprofessor Edmund Sonuga-Barke

Edmund Sonuga-Barke, professor i psykologi ved University of Southampton og Gent University, gæsteprofessor ved Børne- og Ungdomspsykiatrisk Center, Aarhus Universitetshospital, holder onsdag den 9. september 2015 to oplæg om ADHD.

Arrangør: Forskningsafsnit H, Aarhus Universitetshospital, Børne- og Ungdomspsykiatrisk Center, Risskov

Kl. 14.00 Velkomst v. professor Per Hove Thomsen

Kl. 14.05 ADHD Neuropsychology – What have we learnt since 1997?

I dette oplæg gennemgår Edmund Sonuga-Barke udviklingen i den neuropsykologiske

forståelse af ADHD.

Kl. 15.00 Pause

Kl. 15.15 Adult ADHD as a consequence of institutional deprivation in early childhood: Presentation, Continuities and Consequences.

I dette oplæg præsenterer Edmund Sonuga-Barke de første resultater fra opfølgningsstudie af adopterede børn fra rumænske børnehjem med specifik fokus på ADHD.

Kl. 16.00 Afslutning v. professor Per Hove Thomsen

 ADHD Neuropsychology – What have we learnt since 1997?

In 1997 Russell Barley published, perhaps, the most influential paper in ADHD research history.  In it he set out the theory that ADHD is caused by a deficit in executive functions (EF). In this talk I will review the substantial progress in ADHD neuropsychological research since that important milestone. On the basis of this I will challenge the notion that EF deficits are a necessary and sufficient cause of ADHD. First, I will overview the emerging evidence of neuropsychological heterogeneity in ADHD. It is now clear that only a subgroup of ADHD patients suffer EF deficits – with other individuals displaying impairment in other neuropsychological domains.  Second, I will review the growing literature on the causal role of EF deficits in ADHD. This raises doubt over the role of EF deficits in carrying the effects of genetic and environmental risk in the condition. I will conclude that ADHD is not an EF disorder in the sense still proposed by Russell Barkley. 

Adult ADHD as a consequence of institutional deprivation in early childhood: Presentation, Continuities and Consequences.

There is an increasing focus on the persistence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from childhood to adulthood highlighting the deleterious effects of the disorder on functioning across the lifespan. While aetiological research has tended to focus on genetic and pre-natal environmental risks – there is a growing recognition that early social deprivation may play an important role in some individuals exposed to adversity. However, research on deprived samples has not examined whether the effects of early institutional deprivation on ADHD persist into the adult years. I will present the first cut of the data from the English and Romanian Adoptees (ERA) study Young Adult Follow up that addressed this issue. I will in particular focus on (i) the persistence of high rates of ADHD in deprived individuals between adolescence (age 15 years) and young adulthood (age 22-26 years), (ii) changing patterns of clinical presentations and mental health and developmental comorbidities and (iii) the impact of ADHD on daily functioning and the successful transition to adult independent daily living. We will reflect on the clinical significance of deprivation-related adult ADHD highlighting potential similarities and differences from typical adult ADHD in non-deprived individuals.