Objective: To characterize heterogeneity in adults with ADHD we
aimed to identify subgroups within the adult ADHD spectrum, which differ in
their cognitive profile. Method: Neuropsychological data from
adults with ADHD (n = 133) and healthy control participants
(n = 132) were used in a confirmatory factor analysis. The
resulting six cognitive factors were correlated across participants to form
networks. We used a community detection algorithm to cluster these networks into
subgroups. Results: Both the ADHD and control group separated into
three profiles that differed in cognitive performance. Profile 1 was
characterized by aberrant attention and inhibition, profile 2 by increased delay
discounting, and profile 3 by atypical working memory and verbal fluency.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that qualitative differences
in neuropsychological performance exist in both control and ADHD adult
individuals. This extends prior findings in children with and without ADHD and
provides a framework to parse participants into well-defined subgroups.
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