Objective: This study was the first to investigate the efficacy of long wave infrared (LWIR) imaging as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. Method: This study was conducted to assess the sensitivity and specificity of LWIR imaging as a method of diagnosis among 190 patients (ages 4.4-57 years) with various diagnoses, including ADHD, who came into our office for neuropsychological evaluation. Results: LWIR imaging demonstrated a moderate level of sensitivity (65.71%) in identifying patients with ADHD and a high level of specificity (94%) in discriminating those with ADHD from those with other diagnoses. The overall classification rate was 73.16%. This was indicative of a high level of discriminant validity in distinguishing between patients with and without ADHD. There was a moderate level of agreement between LWIR imaging and multiple other diagnostic tests for ADHD. Conclusions: LWIR imaging demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity as a diagnostic tool for ADHD. These results provide evidence for the efficacy of a novel, quick, and effective way to investigate the physiological basis of one of the most prevalent childhood psychiatric disorders.
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