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Case 38 - “Why Do They Say I Have Dementia?”

ADD in Older Adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2024

Matthew Gibfried  and
George T. Grossberg
Matthew Gibfried
Affiliation:
Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri
George T. Grossberg
Affiliation:
Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Missouri
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Summary

Symptoms of adult ADHD can mimic early major neurocognitive disorders in older adults. Deficits uncovered in standard cognitive tests can be due to impaired attention in those older adults with ADHD. Treatment of adult ADHD in older adults is similar to that in younger patients and includes stimulant and non-stimulant medications. Extra caution should be used when prescribing stimulant medications to those with medical or psychiatric comorbidities. About 60% of children or adolescents with ADHD go on to experience adult ADHD. Symptoms of adult ADHD may lessen or be less problematic in older adults. Some older adults may still benefit from treatment.

Keywords

attention deficity disorderattention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Type
Chapter
Information
Clinical Case Studies in Long-Term Care Psychiatry
Navigating Common Mental Health Challenges in Geriatric Care
 , pp. 191 - 196
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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References

References

Callahan, B. L., Bierstone, D., Stuss, D. T., & Black, S. E. (2017). Adult ADHD: Risk factor for dementia or phenotypic mimic? Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2017.00260CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
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Further Reading

Anbarasan, D., Kitchin, M., & Adler, L. A. (2020). Screening for adult ADHD. Current Psychiatry Reports. 22 (12), 72. doi: 10.1007/s11920-020-01194-9. PMID: 33095375.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Antshel, K. M., & Barkley, R. (2020). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Handbook of Clinical Neurology, 174, 37–45. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-444-64148-9.00003-X. PMID: 32977893.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Posner, J., Polanczyk, G. V., & Sonuga-Barke, E. (2020). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lancet (London, England), 395 (10222), 450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Young, J. L., & Goodman, D. W. (2016). Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis, management, and treatment in the DSM–5 era. Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, 18 (6). doi: 10.4088/PCC.16r02000. PMID: 27907271.Google ScholarPubMed

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