Investigating domain-specific impulsivity in comorbid dyslexia-adhd

Developmental dyslexia (DD) and ADHD are highly comorbid. The relevance of impulsivity in ADHD is well established, and research supports its relevance in dyslexia as well. Impulsivity among DD, ADHD, comorbid (DD + ADHD) populations, and typical children has not been systematically characterized. Domain-specific impulsivity (DSI, ie, impulsivity within certain contexts such as interpersonal relationships or schoolwork) in these populations has been unexplored. Here, we investigated DSI across 4 cohorts (DD only, ADHD only, DD + ADHD, and controls), utilizing a parent- and child-reported domain-specific assessment of impulsivity, the Domain-Specific Impulsivity Scale (DSIS). We hypothesized that DSI scores in dyslexic subjects will be greater than controls; furthermore, we hypothesized that DSI scores will be greatest in comorbid patients, reflecting an “additive” phenotype.