Markers for dementia in adults with ADHD Lead Investigator: Louisa Krile Institution : University of Calgary E-Mail : louisa.krile@ucalgary.ca Proposal ID : 1552 Proposal Description: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychological disorder characterized by impulsive behaviour, restlessness, and difficulties paying attention. Though typically diagnosed in childhood, ADHD can persist into adulthood and cause significant distress and poor social and occupational functioning. Research has shown that adults with ADHD may be at higher risk of developing neurodegenerative disease later on in life. For example, the appearance of ADHD symptoms early in adulthood may predispose individuals to experience significant cognitive impairment later on in life in the form of dementia. Specifically, Tzeng et al. (2017) reported that adults with ADHD are 3.4 times more likely to develop dementia than adults without ADHD. In a study looking at the risk of developing Lewy body dementia, Golimstok et al. (2011) found that three times as many people with Lewy body dementia previously exhibited ADHD symptoms in adulthood compared with matched controls. There is interest in identifying various markers of neurological impairment in order to aid clinicians in the identification of early signs of neurodegenerative disease. Neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), genetic, and cognitive markers have shown promise as early identifiers of dementia in adults (Fink et al., 2020 Li et al., 2018 Weintraub, Wicklund, Salmon, 2012). However, despite the significantly greater risk of developing dementia in adults with ADHD, there does not exist a clear explanation for why these individuals may be predisposed to developing this type of neurodegeneration. In an effort to address this gap, the current study will aim to: 1) Quantify neuroimaging, CSF, genetic, and cognitive markers of dementia in adults with ADHD 2) Compare the presence and severity o