ADHD in Older Adults: Clinical Guidance and Implications (w/ David Goodman, M.D., LFAPA)

In this ADDitude webinar, Dr. David Goodman shares research on ADHD in adults over the age of 50. He talks about how to distinguish ADHD from other medical and psychiatric conditions, such as dementia, mood disorders, and menopausal changes, and addresses concerns around stimulant medication use and cardiovascular risk.

#adhd #adhdawareness #adhdempowerment

This ADHD Experts webinar was originally broadcast on April 4, 2024.

Download the slides associated with this webinar here:

7:00 prevalence of psych disorders
8:00 onset of diagnosis vs time of diagnosis
10:00 possible reasons for lack of concentration how do you sort this out?
11:00 Amsterdam study
12:00 "1 out of 5 memory clinics reported seeing ADHD patients"
14:00 what is a differential diagnosis?
17:00 perimenopause and estrogen
19:00 mild cognitive functioning
22:00 childhood vs adult diagnosis
23:00 "75% of adults who fulfill criteria for adhd as adults were NOT diagnosed as children."
24:00 Comorbidities and older adults with ADHD
26:00 different segments of adhd population in older adults
29:00 medications for adhd
31:00 older adults are excluded from clinical trials for many reasons
32:00 FDA approval limits for older adults - scripts written for people over 65 is off label
33:00 safety concerns
34:00 fear factor - neurodegeneration
36:00 much lower risk of dementia in those on stimulants
39:00 how do you evaluate an older adults for adhd
43:00 can ADHD symptoms become more apparent as you age?
45:00 Might I need to make a change to my meds later in life?
48:00 stimulants vs nonstimulants?
49:00 can stimulants be safely prescribed for people with heart conditions?
51:00 "should not be a contraindication in general for cardiovascular health"
53:00 emotional dysregulation (probably going to be in the next DSM)
54:00 how to talk to your doctor
56:00 how to talk to a resistant older parent about their potential adhd
58:00 managing menopause

Related Resources

1. Download: What Your Doctor Needs to Know About ADHD in Older Adults

2. Read: First-Ever Adult ADHD Guidelines Forthcoming

3. Read: How to Find the Best ADHD Treatment Professional

4. eBook: 9 Conditions Often Diagnosed with ADHD

[zezezep]

In my forties I survived the myriad jobs and relationships with the help of my parents and my lovely kid and my sense of entrepreneurship and so much effort

[Queenread]

Btw, diagnosed this year at age 60. I'm on a low dose of Adderall and a bit of Gabapentin. The Gabapentin helps with the muscle tension I was getting with Adderall and helped with anxiety, which I didn't even realize I had until I accidentally stopped taking my meds for a week.

[zezezep]

No barrier to getting diagnosed 20 years ago aged fifty in Australia

But it doesn't get easier combining AGE with ADHD, BED, Hoarding

[zezezep]

More for over sixties please 🧓🏻🧓🏻🧓🏻🧓🏻

[claralopez]

Thank you for covering this topic!

I was diagnosed in my late 30s after my kids were diagnosed. Now I have the medical power of attourney for my 94 year old paternal aunt. Now understanding the nuanced expressions of ADHD symptoms, I am fairly confident my father and most of his 8 siblings likely have undiagnosed ADHD, and that their depression and early onset dementia are either misdiagnosed or not managed as effectively as could be had ADHD been considered and addressed properly.

I sincerely hope more studies are done and clinicians pay attention to presentations like this one.

Thanks you again ❤

[salparadise]

Diagnosed aged 56. I'm in the UK.

Biggest barrier to diagnosis was the NHS - two and half year wait.
I'm medicated now, though supplies of the medication are patchy, but, there is no support beyond that where I am. For men. There's a support group for women. For me there is medication and, " now go away and sort your own issues out. Here's a leaflet with some website addresses."
Have the symptoms changed? Yes, post diagnosis they are worse. Partly as a reflection of understanding myself so much better and unmasking, and partly because the medication shows me what a much quieter, potentially more useful head can be like, for a few hours a day, then back to "normal", and the contrast can be stark. So it's not that the symptoms are demonstrably much worse because part of this is me being more aware of them.

[sarahshebythesalishsea]

Thank you so much for affirming my experience and decisions! I feel much more confident in myself after listening to you Dr. Goodman!

[Queenread]

Thanks for talking a bit more in depth about the peri-menopause/menopause connection. I didn't know HRT would not be as effective post menopause. I just know that when I was on it I basically reacquired some peri-menopausal symptoms like pimples and hot flashes. (I still get occasional hot flashes but not like I did in peri)

[Queenread]

When you are so used to feeling how you are feeling, maybe you know something is wrong but don't know what it could be (ADHD is rowdy little boys!) and blame yourself for all of the mistakes and failures, emotional outbursts and sensitivity - an entire unhealthy narrative forms. Is it any wonder undiagnosed ADHD looks like depression?