ADHD test could bring earlier, more accurate diagnosis

A TEST that could distinguish badly behaved children from those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been developed by scientists at Yale University.

Brain differences in people with the attention disorder – including abnormal connectivity in neurons involved in memory and auditory processing – can be used as biomarkers to confirm a diagnosis, researchers say. And, by identifying young patients, the test could lead to earlier diagnosis, treatment planning and surveillance of the condition.

Report co-author Dr Huang Lin, of the Yale School of Medicine, said: “There’s a need for a more objective methodology for a more efficient and reliable diagnosis. ADHD symptoms are often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed because the evaluation is subjective.”

The findings, presented at a meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, are based on brain scans of almost 8,000 nine- and 10-yearolds in the United States, including 1,798 diagnosed with ADHD.

Up to one in 20 schoolchildren in the UK are thought to have the condition.