Impact of comorbidity on the executive function of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (review)

This paper is a literature review of impact of comorbidity on the executive function (EF) of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Over 80% of children and adolescents and 65%-89% of adults with ADHD suffer from one or more additional psychiatric disorders. EF deficits in ADHD of all ages can be demonstrated to be independent of psychiatric comorbidity. The presence of comorbid learning disorder (LD) and mood disorder (MD) appears to increase the EF deficits in ADHD which seems to be decreased by the the presence of comorbid anxiety disorder and oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder (ODD/CD). However, the comorbidity of LD, MD, ODD/CD and Tourette syndrome may have no impact on the EF deficits in ADHD.