Executive Functions Contribute to the Differences Between ADHD and Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) in Adults.

OBJECTIVES: This paper analyses the relationship between sociodemographic variables, executive dysfunctions, Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) and the mainly dimensions of ADHD: hyperactivity-impulsivity (ADHD-H/I) and inattention (ADHD-IN) in Brazilian adults. METHOD: A cross-sectional, exploratory, and comparative design was used. A total of 446 participants (295 women) aging from 18 to 63 years old (M = 3,499 years, SD = 10.7) were recruited on the internet. Correlations, t independent tests and regressions were conducted. RESULTS: Higher scores in ADHD dimensions were associated to more executive functioning problems and time perception distortions in comparison to those participants without significant ADHD symptoms. However, ADHD-IN dimension as well as SCT were higher associated with these dysfunctions than ADHD-H/I. The regression results showed that ADHD-IN was more related to Self-Management to time while ADHD-H/I to Self-Restraint and SCT to Self-Organization/Problem Solving. CONCLUSION: This paper contributed to the distinction between SCT and ADHD in adults in important psychological dimensions.

Brazilian Portuguese transcultural adaptation of Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS)

Abstract Background Considering the importance of Executive Functions to clinical and nonclinical situations, Barkley proposed a new theory of executive functioning based on an evolutionary neuropsychological perspective and clinical research using large samples of clinical and community identified adults and children as well as children with ADHD followed to adulthood. Objective The present study aims to adapt the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functions Scales (BDEFS) to Brazilian Portuguese and also assess its construct validity in a sample of normal Brazilian adults. Methods The original version of scale was adapted to Brazilian Portuguese according to the guideline from the ISPOR Task Force. To assess the semantic equivalence between the original and adapted version, both of them were applied into a sample of 25 Brazilian bilingual adults. Finally, 60 Brazilian adults completed the BDEFS and the Brazilian versions of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS-18) to assess convergent validity. Results The BDEFS Brazilian Portuguese version has semantic correspondence with the original version indicating that the adaptation procedure was successful. The BDEFS correlated significantly with the impulsivity and attention scores from the BIS-11 and ASRS-18 supporting its construct validity. Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.961) indicated that the BDEFS translated version has satisfactory internal consistency. Discussion Together, these findings indicate the successful adaptation of the BDEFS to Brazilian Portuguese and support its utility in that population.