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Diagnosis of ADHD in older adults

ADDitude Magazine Webinar “ADHD in Older Adults” David W. Goodman, M.D. May 1, 2018

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Technology is not always a cooperative servant. My ADDitude Magazine webinar scheduled on Febuary 27, 2018 was interrupted by a technical problem after 10 minutes. No one was more upset about this than I. However, good news. the webinar has been rescheduled for May 1 Tuesday 1pm for 1 hour. This will be a 30+ minute presentation with slides followed by Q and A live. You can register for the webinar and, if not available for the time, watch it at a convenient time for you.

In this webinar, you will learn:

  1. how to identify and understand ADHD symptoms in adults over age 50
  2. the importance of an accurate diagnosis in older adults who are experiencing mental changes
  3. why clinicians don’t consider that ADHD might be the reason for “thinking problems” in older adults
  4. signs that clinicians and older adults should be aware of in the diagnosis process
  5. how stimulants might fit into a treatment regimen for adults who are taking multiple medications
  6. how medication and organizational skills can improve daily functioning and quality of life
  7. how to approach a parent who you suspect has had lifelong inattention and disorganization

Hope you can join us…and tell anyone who might benefit….like your parents who have had symptoms for as long as you can remember. While the webinar is billed for clinicians based of the research basis of the presentation, it will not be beyond the scope of the general public to understand.

David W. Goodman, M.D.

Psychiatric Times interviews Dr. David W. Goodman about ADHD in older adults

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Psychiatric Times interviewed Dr. Goodman about the unrecognized prevalence of ADHD in adults over age 50. The Psychiatric Times, , a profession psychiatric print newspaper, is  distributed to 30, 000 U.S. psychiatrists. You can listen to the concise 6 minute interview and learn more about ADHD that persists throughout one ‘s life. While the challenges of life change at different developmental phases (school, college, first job, marriage, children, job changes/promotions), ADHD symptoms persist to an impairing degree for 60% of children with ADHD.

The impact of untreated ADHD later in life can have significant negative impact on your ability to effective handle daily tasks and responsibilities. In fact, no adults over age 60 diagnosed with ADHD were diagnosed as children. Makes sense since ADHD was rarely considered in the 1950s and 1960s.

Treatment seems to be effective later in life and people with chronic symptoms of ADHD should seek an evaluation with an experienced doctor or clinician. My older patients have been grateful to discover “It was ADHD, not me as a person.”

ADHD in older adults: First published review of world-wide literature

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On December 16, 2015, our article reviewing the world’s English scientific literature on ADHD in adults over age 50 years was published online in Drugs and Aging, an international journal. While there is a paucity of research, there are enough publications to merit pulling this literature together into one paper. Most of research comes out of the Amsterdam ADHD research group under the direction of Dr. Sandra Kooji. Some preliminary findings:

  1. Prevalence estimated at 3%. To put this into perspective, ADHD prevalence rate for children in the U.S. is approximately 8%, and 4.5% for adults. We know that for most children ADHD symptoms persist into adulthood. While we have prospective, longitudinal studies of ADHD children for 30 years, we do not have this information as the children age past 50 years old.
  2. Only 1 of 5 memory clinics actively screen for ADHD. This will leave many with ADHD misdiagnosed and likely mistreated
  3. Older adults on stimulant medication report better attention and greater ability to manage daily tasks compared to ADHD older adult not on medication.

Our paper reviews a broader range of findings and will be helpful to researchers and clinicians seeking to broaden their knowledge and polish their clinical skills as these patients present for evaluation of cognitive complaints. We look forward to participating in the expansion of this knowledge.

David W. Goodman, M.D.