Nearly 1 in 5 children receiving care in a pediatric headache clinic had significant attention difficulties yet lacked a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a poster presented at the 52nd Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“Difficulties with attention and concentration can complicate treatment and adherence to a headache management plan,” wrote authors from the University of Utah Department of Pediatrics/Primary Children’s Hospital in the poster.

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To explore the potential underdiagnosis of ADHD in patients at a pediatric headache clinic, researchers looked at parent responses to questionnaires including the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Survey, Functional Disability Inventory, and Pediatric Symptom Checklist. The study included 118 pediatric patients, whose average age was 12 years. Among them, 61% identified as female, 37% as male, and 2% as other.

According to the study, 31% more parents reported clinically significant attention problems in children than the 21% with an ADHD diagnosis. Moreover, 18% of pediatric patients lacking an ADHD diagnosis scored in the “high risk” range on an attention subscale.

Attention difficulties in children significantly predicted greater headache disability as well as functional disability, the study showed.

“Comorbid ADHD/ADD is a treatable condition with a significant impact on disability,” researchers wrote. “Screening for ADD/ADHD should be standard in headache assessment.”

Reference

Candee M, Espinoza C, Caplin D. Attention please! ADD/ADHD symptoms in a pediatric headache clinic. Poster presented at Child Neurology Society Annual Meeting; October 4-7, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.