Clinical and functional characteristics of children and young adults with cerebral palsy and co-occurring attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
One in five kids with cerebral palsy also has ADHD—screen routinely, especially in those with milder motor involvement.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Casseus et al. (2024) read 1,145 medical charts of kids and young adults with cerebral palsy. They counted how many also had an ADHD diagnosis. They used the Gross Motor Function Classification System to see if motor severity mattered.
What they found
Eighteen percent of the CP group had ADHD. The milder the motor problems, the more likely the ADHD label appeared. Severe motor limits made ADHD less likely to be spotted.
How this fits with other research
Goldstein et al. (2004) found almost the same rate—about 26 percent—in kids with PDD. Both studies used chart reviews, so the numbers line up well.
Whittingham et al. (2010) showed that motor level predicts social skills in preschoolers with CP. Myriam’s team now shows it also predicts who gets flagged for ADHD.
Carter et al. (2011) tracked IQ growth and saw that kids with milder CP gain more non-verbal skills. The new data say milder CP also raises the chance of seeing ADHD.
Why it matters
If you work with CP, add ADHD screens to your intake. Use short rating scales and watch for inattention in kids who walk or use hands with little help. These are the ones most likely to be missed.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Emerging research shows that children and young adults (CYAs) with cerebral palsy (CP) are at higher risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, little is known about the clinical and functional characteristics of CYAs with these co-occurring disorders. AIM: To estimate associations between a diagnosis of ADHD among CYAs with CP and clinical and functional characteristics. METHODS: This retrospective, cross-sectional study used data from the electronic health records of CYAs (aged 4-26 years) with CP (n = 1145). We used bivariate and multivariable analyses to estimate associations between an ADHD diagnosis, CP type, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, speech or language disorder, and intellectual disability. RESULTS: 18.1 % of CYAs with CP had a diagnosis of ADHD. CYAs with spastic-bilateral CP had lower odds of ADHD (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.58; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 0.35-0.96). Odds of having ADHD were significantly lower for those with GMFCS levels III-V (AOR = 0.10; 95 % CI, 0.06-0.15). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that a diagnosis of ADHD among CYAs with CP was associated with greater clinical and functional impairments compared to counterparts without ADHD. Findings highlight the need to screen for both conditions because of the high comorbidity rates in this population.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104787