Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

To the Editor: The report by Hauser et al. (April 8 issue) 1 suggests that “attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder is strongly associated with generalized resistance to thyroid hormone.” In this study, the diagnoses of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder were based on interviews, parental reports, or retrospective evaluations. At first glance (or retrospectively), other psychiatric or medical disorders may seem to mimic this disorder. Indeed, the presence of other psychiatric disorders or cognitive dysfunction (e.g., pervasive developmental disorders, mental retardation, and learning disabilities) has been reported in patients with generalized resistance to thyroid hormone 2 . Unfortunately, diagnoses based only on parental reports or questionnaires . . .