The Clinical Features of Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Accompanying Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Aim: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a mental disorder with highly heterogeneous presentation and clinical appearance. In recent years, children with Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT), characterized by a set of symptoms such as concentration problems, sleepy appearance, weakness in social relations and day-dreaming, have begun to be mentioned. The aim of the current study is to determine the clinical features of SCT accompanying ADHD in Turkish children and adolescents by comparing the scores of scales that fulfilled by their parents and teachers. Materials and Methods: The clinical features of SCT were determined by comparison of scores of Child behavior checklist and Teacher report form of 55 children with ADHD and 55 children with ADHD and SCT in the ages of 6-17 years. Results: SCT was more associated with ADHD-inattention type and the ages of children with ADHD and SCT were significantly older than the others. The scores of internalization and withdrawal subscales of children with ADHD and SCT were significantly higher than those of the other group whereas the scores of externalization and aggression subscale of these children were lower than the children with ADHD. Conclusion: The clinical features of SCT of Turkish children are consistent with those of the other countries and SCT maybe can be defined as a new cluster of symptoms with intercultural validity. However, the question whether this is a subtype of ADHD or a distinct disorder is still a field that needs to be investigate