Early signs of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity in infants with family history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism in Brazil.

• Grant number: 25/13970-5
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Human Development Psychology
• Principal Investigator: Elizabeth Shephard
• Grantee: Elizabeth Shephard
• Host Institution: Instituto de Psicologia (IP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/05964-1 - Effects of biological and environmental factors and psychosocial intervention on early neurodevelopmental pathways in vulnerable children, AP.JP

Abstract

Approximately 10% to 20% of infants with family history of ADHD and autism develop ADHD symptoms by school age, a proportion considerably higher than the prevalence of ADHD in the general population (5% to 7%). Research shows that these infants tend to show early signs of ADHD as early as the first year of life, including inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, compared to infants who do not develop ADHD symptoms. Researchers in the US have developed a coding scheme (The ADHD Coding Project) to objectively measure these early signs of ADHD. The resulting measures have been shown to predict ADHD symptoms later in childhood and may be useful in clinical settings for monitoring and early identification of infants at risk for ADHD. The current project will test, for the first time, the validity of the ADHD Coding Project in Brazil, using a large cohort of infants with and without a family history of ADHD and autism, the Floreah Project. (AU)