Associations between childhood asthma and ADHD : issues of psychiatric comorbidity and familiality

摘要: ABSTRACT Objective In this paper we evaluate the association between asthma and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), addressing issues of comorbidity familiality by formulating testing competing hypotheses. Method Subjects were 6− to 17-year-old boys with DSM-III-R ADHD ( N = 140) normal controls 120) their first-degree relatives. Information on was obtained from mothers in a standardized manner blind proband's clinical status. Results The risk for did not meaningfully differ control children. Relatives probands without at significantly greater than relatives controls. contrast, elevated only among children plus asthma. Conclusions These findings argue against substantial etiological or pathophysiological relationship two conditions but suggest that are independently transmitted families. Thus, observation symptoms an asthmatic child should be dismissed out hand as being consequence since many may actually have ADHD.