Exophenotypical profile of adolescents with sustained attention deficit: A 10-year follow-up study

Alvarez-Moya, Eva M.; Barrantes-Vidal, Neus; Navarro, Jose Blas; Subira, Susana; Obiols, Jordi E.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2006.12.021

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Volume 153, Issue 2 , Pages 119-130, 31 October 2007

Exophenotypical profile of adolescents with sustained attention deficit: A 10-year follow-up study

Eva M. Alvarez-Moya
- Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Research Unit, Department of Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
- Corresponding author. Postal address: Unitat de Recerca en Psicopatologia i Neuropsicologia, Dept. Psicologia de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain. Tel.: +34 93 581 25 44; fax: +34 93 581 21 25.
Neus Barrantes-Vidal
- Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Research Unit, Department of Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
Jose Blas Navarro
- Methodology Unit, Department of Psychobiology and Methodology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
Susana Subira
- Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Research Unit, Department of Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain
Jordi E. Obiols
- Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Research Unit, Department of Health Psychology, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193, Barcelona, Spain

Received 15 February 2006; received in revised form 26 July 2006; accepted 15 December 2006.

Abstract

We aimed to explore prospectively the relationship between the presence of sustained attention deficit (SAD) in early adolescence and exophenotypical measures of vulnerability to schizophrenia spectrum disorders (personality and psychosocial measures) in early adulthood. Two cohorts of community adolescents were selected in 1993 according to the presence or absence of a CPT-linked SAD. In 2003, both cohorts (Index: n=42, and Control: n=38) were administered the O-LIFE, the SCID-II, the DOI battery and the COPE scale, among other tests. T-tests were used to compare both cohorts. Index subjects showed a higher level of negative schizotypy, avoidant, depressive and narcissistic personality traits, as well as more asocial behavior and poorer use of coping resources than Control subjects did. A SAD in early adolescence may be associated with coping and social deficits, negative schizotypy, and personality traits indicative of emotional disturbance in adulthood. Our results suggest that SAD in early adolescence might be an indicator of psychopathology in adulthood and give support to dimensional models of psychopathology.