Validation of the Spanish version of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder adult screening scale (ASRS v. 1.1): A novel scoring strategy

Introduction. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder in the adulthood. It's diagnosis is a complex process in which a screening tool can be useful. Aim. To analyze the six-question Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v. 1.1) validity in an outpatient clinical context. Subjects and methods. We performed a case-control study, involving 90 patients with ADHD and 90 controls without ADHD. They were outpatient treated in a program for adults ADHD in a hospital. The clinical disorder diagnosis was measured by the Conners Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview. We analyzed the test accuracy for different ways to score and cut-offs. Results. We found the best psychometric characteristics of ASRS v. 1.1 using a quantitative ranking between 0 and 24 points, setting as cut-off 12 points. We observed a sensitivity of 96.7%, specificity 91.1%, positive predictive value 91.6% negative predictive value 96.5%, kappa index 0.88 and area under the curve 0.94 (odds ratio = 297.3; 95% confidence interval = 76.2-1,159). Conclusion. The ASRS is a valid and useful tool for the adult ADHD screening in the clinical context. © 2009, Revista de Neurología.