Psychiatry research
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Psychiatry research · Aug 2006
Possible confusion between primary hypersomnia and adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
We explored the possibility of diagnostic confusion between hypersomnias of central origin (narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia, IH) and the adult form of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We included 67 patients with narcolepsy, 7 with IH and 61 with ADHD. All patients completed the Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the ADHD Rating Scale. ⋯ We conclude that one should be aware of possible diagnostic confusion between narcolepsy or IH and adult ADHD when using self-report questionnaires. The high percentage of symptom overlap found in our study raises questions about possible misdiagnosing of both conditions, comorbidity with sleep problems in adult ADHD, and the validation of the used scales. It remains unclear whether our findings indicate pathophysiological overlap.