Familial clustering of executive functioning in affected sibling pair families with ADHD.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To investigate familial clustering of executive functioning (i.e., response inhibition, fine visuomotor functioning, and attentional control) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-affected sibling pairs. METHOD: Fifty-two affected sibling pairs aged 6 to 18 years and diagnosed with ADHD according to DSM-IV performed the Stroop test, go/no-go task, two different fine visuomotor tracking tasks, and a sustained-, divided-, and focused attention task. RESULTS: Significant correlations (r = 0.4) were found between siblings for response inhibition and attentional control and for fine visuomotor skills that made high demands on executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Response inhibition, higher order controlled fine visuomotor functioning, and attentional control seem to cluster in ADHD-affected siblings. This suggests that these aspects of executive dysfunctioning may reflect an endophenotype of ADHD. Measurement of these executive functions may facilitate the identification of genes involved in ADHD by forming more homogeneous subgroups.