ADHD Assessed with Self-Report Does not Predict Neurocognitive Performance in Abstinent Opiate and Amphetamine Users

Objective: Impulsivity is a core feature of drug addiction and one of the main symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The specific aim of this study was to investigate whether the presence of ADHD would predict performance on two neurocognitive measures of impulsivity and attention in currently abstinent heroin and amphetamine users. Method: A total of 173 currently abstinent heroin (n = 56) and amphetamine users (n = 40) and 77 healthy control participants completed two measures of response inhibition/"motor impulsivity": the Stop Signal Task (SST) and the Immediate Memory Task (IMT). Participants in the drug groups met DSM-IV criteria for past heroin or amphetamine dependence, whereas control participants had no history of substance dependence. The total score of the 25-item self-report Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) was used to measure symptoms of ADHD. Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed no significant relationship between a self-report measure of ADHD symptoms (WURS) and performance on two measures of impulsivity and attention. The effects of ADHD symptoms on neurocognitive performance were not influenced by drug status either. Conclusion: In our sample of heroin and amphetamine users, retrospectively assessed childhood symptoms of ADHD were not related to neurocognitive performance on tasks of motor impulsivity. Research with adults with ADHD has shown that neurocognitive impulsivity tends to wane over the years, which may explain why higher scores on the WURS did not predict performance. Our sample consisted of currently abstinent individuals; thus, results may also indicate that impulsivity decreases after long periods of abstinence.