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Sleep disturbance, circadian preference and symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

  • Biological Psychiatry - Original Paper
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Abstract

Inattention is a core symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and one of the main impairments resulting from insomnia disorders. These disorders have also been reported to be linked with disturbances in circadian rhythms and with increased eveningness. To explore these associations, more than 550 adults were surveyed across Romania. Using self-reported questionnaires, the presence and severity of ADHD and insomnia symptoms were determined, together with sleep and circadian typology parameters. ADHD symptoms were more frequent and severe among younger individuals. Subjects with probable ADHD complained more frequently of sleep disturbance of the insomnia type (more than 50 %) and reported shorter sleep durations and longer sleep latencies and more frequent unwanted awakenings. Individuals likely to suffer from ADHD and/or insomnia disorder were significantly more evening oriented than controls. Inattention was associated with both insomnia and eveningness, while impulsivity was associated with poor sleep. Hyperactivity and sleep timing were associated with poor sleep only in probable insomnia group. These findings highlight the reciprocal links between ADHD symptoms, sleep and diurnal preference.

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Notes

  1. downloadable from http://www.hcp.med.harvard.edu/ncs/asrs.php.

  2. available for download at http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/spssdevcentral.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Daniela Zaharie (Faculty of Psychology, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Iaşi, Romania) for recruiting students, as well as to Surveygizmo (http://www.surveygizmo.com) for developing a comprehensive and complex web survey solution and for offering it for free as a student plan. Support for this work was provided by the European Sleep Research Society through a grant from Sanofi and by the Sectorial Operational Programme for Human Resources Development 2007-2013, co-financed by the European Social Fund, POSDRU 89/1.5/S/60189 “Postdoctoral Programs for Sustainable Development in a Knowledge Based Society”.

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  1. Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

    Bogdan Ioan Voinescu, Aurora Szentagotai & Daniel David

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  1. Bogdan Ioan Voinescu
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  2. Aurora Szentagotai
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  3. Daniel David
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Correspondence to Bogdan Ioan Voinescu.

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Voinescu, B.I., Szentagotai, A. & David, D. Sleep disturbance, circadian preference and symptoms of adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). J Neural Transm 119, 1195–1204 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-012-0862-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-012-0862-3

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