Women With ADHD Demonstrate Similar Hyperactivity to Men With ADHD

Women and men with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrate similar hyperactivity levels, according to study results published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.  

Historically, ADHD has been viewed as a disorder predominantly affecting boys and men. However, emerging research findings have revealed similar ADHD prevalence among girls and women, who are often underdiagnosed and receive less frequent treatment.

To assess whether motor activity and hyperactivity in ADHD differ on the basis of sex, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from a mental health care facility in the Netherlands. The primary outcomes of interest were basal activity (motor activity during the initial quarter of testing) and provoked activity (heightened motor activity during the final quarter of testing). Secondary outcomes included the parameters from the Quantified Behavior Test (QbTest; time active, distance, area, and micro-events), a Continuous Performance Test combined with a Motion Tracking System.

The study included a total of 13,179 patients with ADHD aged 17 to 61 years. Sex distribution was equal among the ADHD group compared with the control group, which had significantly fewer female patients (41%; P <.001).

Among patients with ADHD, 39% of male and 37.7% of female patients had a combined presentation, whereas male patients were more frequently diagnosed with a hyperactive or impulsive presentation than female patients (4.7% vs 3.5%; P <.001). Both male and female patients in the ADHD group had QbActivity index scores exceeding the clinical threshold. Individuals in the control group maintained normal ObActivity index scores.

Relative to individuals without ADHD, adults with ADHD demonstrated a 218% increase in basal activity (P <.001).

Patients with ADHD also exhibited significantly higher provoked activity levels than patients without ADHD, with male patients showing a 265% increase (P <.001) and female patients showing a 262% increase (P <.001).

These findings indicate that although male patients are more frequently diagnosed with a hyperactive ADHD type, both men and women with ADHD display similar levels of provoked and basal activity. “By acknowledging the hyperactivity severity in females with ADHD and challenging the existing diagnostic framework, more accurate and timely diagnoses and treatment for females with ADHD may be achieved,” the researchers concluded.

Study limitations include the uneven group sizes and lack of diagnostic details for the group of patients without ADHD, which may lead to an underestimation of the true effect size.

Disclosure: One study author declared affiliations with biotech, pharmaceutical, and/or device companies. Please see the original reference for a full list of disclosures.

This article originally appeared on Psychiatry Advisor