This article addresses the presence and the clinical presentation of executive dysfunction in patients with ADHD. Because symptoms of executive dysfunction apparently determine functional abnormalities in daily activities, the study of the correlations between such manifestations and abnormalities in formal neuropsychological tests becomes clinically relevant. The relatively recent realization of the pivotal role of executive dysfunction in ADHD has kindled interest in neuropsychological research, but the data generated thus far are still not fully consistent. An updated view of these issues suggests that the available neuropsychological semiology is not sufficient to identify or predict the full constellation of practical symptoms of ADHD in daily life. Thus, more research is needed to establish secure links between neuropsychological testing and symptoms of executive dysfunction in the practical functioning of patients with ADHD.
ADHD; attention; executive function; neuropsychological tests