In a Frontiers in Psychology study of 331 children aged six to 12 at a Guangxi hospital, inattention stayed stable, while hyperactivity-impulsivity generally declined with age.
Researchers linked inattention most strongly to learning difficulties, and hyperactivity-impulsivity to oppositional behaviour, emotional dysregulation and sleep-wake disturbances such as restless sleep, nightmares and sleep talking.
The findings suggest subtype-specific treatment, from academic and cognitive support for inattentive children to behavioural, emotional-regulation and sleep-focused interventions, alongside recent brain-scan studies proposing broader ADHD subtypes.
Brain scans reveal a new severe ADHD subtype. How can patients be diagnosed and treated without them?
If ADHD is redefined by brain structure, what does this mean for millions already diagnosed by behavior?
Women with ADHD face high rates of anxiety. Could this newly found 'emotional' subtype be the missing link?