Background: Patients with Cystic fibrosis (CF) need daily treatments to control the disease, which requires time, energy, and persistence. One possible barrier to adherence may be co-morbidity with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which has a prevalence of 7% in the general population. ADHD is associated with functional impairment in multiple settings including self-care. Increased inflammatory marker levels were detected in ADHD-patients suggesting a probable association with chronic inflammatory illnesses. It is believed that patients who suffer from co-morbid ADHD symptomatology "on top" of chronic diseases may experience greater difficulty in controlling their primary disease. Few studies have analyzed the influence of ADHD in patients with CF.
Aims: To determine the rate and characteristics of ADHD in patients with CF.
Methods: 122 patients with CF >6 years from the Hadassah, Schneider and Rambam CF centers participated in this cross-sectional study. Patients/parents completed the DSM`s-5 ADHD questionnaire and patients performed the online d-CPT MOXO analysis.
Results: 55/122 patients (45%) showed characteristics that may be compatible with ADHD. 20/122 (16%) matched all DSM’s criteria, whereas 35/122 (29%) fulfilled only part of the criteria with pathologic results seen in the MOXO analysis requiring further evaluation by a neurologist.
Conclusions: The occurrence of ADHD in patients with CF is higher than expected in the general population. The specific characteristics of this connection might be related also to chronic inflammatory processes. Early diagnosis and treatment of ADHD might improve quality of life, prognosis and outcome in patients with CF.
