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Open research questions in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

1,419 gap statements mined from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,472 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The lack of objective and transparent methods for ADHD diagnosis. The limitations of behavioural rating scales in ADHD psychological assessment. The need for a more accurate and reliable method for ADHD classification.

    Explainable Artificial Intelligence Applied to the Characterisation of ADHD in Children and Adolescents Using the WISC-V · 2026 · DOI

  • The disorder's heterogeneity and the need to control for various factors, such as psychiatric comorbidities and environmental factors, pose challenges. The measurement of biomarkers and the interpretation of results also pose technical challenges.

    Serum β-catenin, GSK-3β, and IL-6 levels in medication-naive children with ADHD: a preliminary case-control study · 2026 · DOI

  • The effectiveness of PUFA supplementation for ADHD outcomes is unclear. There is a need for a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the effect of PUFA supplementation on ADHD outcomes. The paper identifies substantial between-study heterogeneity, indicating variability in effect sizes across studies.

    Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation and ADHD outcomes in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to include prescription data to accurately estimate ADHD incidence.

    Trends and incidence rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Danish children and adolescents 2000–2024 · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of age- and sex-specific incidence and temporal trends in ASD and ADHD diagnosis. The potential underestimation of ADHD incidence due to reliance on hospital diagnoses alone.

    Trends and incidence rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Danish children and adolescents 2000–2024 · 2026 · DOI

  • Most studies have focused on isolated nutrients, overlooking dietary complex interplay. There is a need to identify nutrient patterns in children with ADHD and explore their association with behavioural symptoms.

    Nutrient patterns in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a case–control study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need for effective treatments for preschool-age children with ADHD symptoms. Current interventions may not be sufficient for all children, and a stepped-care approach may be beneficial. There is a lack of research on the efficacy of low-threshold interventions, such as parent-directed telephone-assisted self-help, for this age group.

    Adaptive stepped care in preschool-age children with ADHD symptoms: a multicentre study including two consecutive randomised controlled trials (ESCApreschool) · 2026 · DOI

  • The need to develop effective interventions to address the co-occurrence of ADHD symptoms and motor deficits. The importance of considering gender differences in the frequency of clinical presentations of ADHD and motor deficit categories.

    Differences in the motor profiles of children and adolescents with ADHD in a clinically referred outpatient sample · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of understanding of which clinical presentations of ADHD are associated with different motor deficits. The need to investigate the co-occurrence of ADHD symptoms and motor deficits in a clinically referred sample. The importance of exploring potential gender-specific associations between ADHD and motor skills.

    Differences in the motor profiles of children and adolescents with ADHD in a clinically referred outpatient sample · 2026 · DOI

  • Direct comparative evidence across the full therapeutic dose ranges of methylphenidate and amphetamines is limited. Efficacy and safety are typically analyzed as separate outcomes, rather than being integrated into a net clinical benefit framework.

    Dose-response, net clinical benefit and optimal dose ranges of stimulants in children and adolescents with ADHD: a network meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The complexity of psychiatric conditions, including ADHD, requires an integrative framework for understanding psychopathology. Prior reports have identified reduced frontal volume and increased NAc-centered FC in ADHD, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. The study aims to address this gap by empirically evaluating a neuropathological model of ADHD.

    Asymmetrical frontal–subcortical aberrations in ADHD: evidence for a developmental network model · 2026 · DOI

  • The relationship between fatty acids and ADHD symptoms is not fully understood. The role of FADS2 expression in ADHD is not well established. Prior studies have reported inconsistent findings on the relationship between fatty acids and ADHD.

    Exploring the link between fatty acids, FADS2 expression, and ADHD using structural equation modeling · 2026 · DOI

  • The pathogenesis of ADHD is still unclear. ADHD has a high degree of heritability, involving common and rare genetic variations. The dysfunction of dopaminergic and noradrenergic systems is complex.

    Dissecting the shared genetic architecture between testosterone traits and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research is needed to understand the factors driving the increase in ADHD medication prescriptions. Studies examining the effectiveness of different treatments for ADHD in various age groups and populations are necessary. Research into the reasons behind the differences in prescription rates between Poland and other countries is required.

    The exponential increase in the number of prescriptions for ADHD medication between 2012 and 2022 in Poland in patients aged 5–59 years: a pharmacoepidemiological study · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of pharmacoepidemiological data on the use of ADHD medications in Poland. Evidence from Central and Eastern Europe remains limited, despite a global increase in ADHD diagnosis and pharmacological treatment. Diagnostic data from private healthcare providers in Poland are not consistently captured in a single and fully comprehensive national registry.

    The exponential increase in the number of prescriptions for ADHD medication between 2012 and 2022 in Poland in patients aged 5–59 years: a pharmacoepidemiological study · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a small sample size (n = 41 for ADHD group and n = 46 for healthy control group), - The study was cross-sectional, - Recent stress-related events that might affect inflammatory profiles were screened but not further…

    The immune system’s role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder development · 2026 · DOI

  • Further investigation of the relationship between immune system alterations and ADHD, - Longitudinal studies to examine the development of ADHD and immune system alterations over time, - Investigation of the potential effects of immune system modulation on ADHD…

    The immune system’s role in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder development · 2026 · DOI

  • ADHD symptoms were assessed using the SDQ, a brief screening instrument adapted and validated for the Brazilian population, which does not provide a clinical gold standard - Dietary exposures were measured using a qualitative food questionnaire rather than traditional quantitative methods, such as the FFQ combined with a 24-hour recall - The instruments used were adapted from a Brazilian questionnaire that evaluates…

    Association of unprocessed and ultra-processed food consumption and ADHD symptoms: evidence from a Brazilian population-based cohort · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a limited sample size, - The study only included participants with ADHD and neurotypical controls, - The study did not account for other potential confounding…

    Visual-spatial working memory in ADHD: new evidence for a storage rather than a processing deficit · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the relationship between storage and processing in working memory in other neuro-developmental disorders, - Examine the effects of different types of tasks on spatial accuracy in ADHD, - Explore the neural mechanisms underlying the impairments in spatial working memory…

    Visual-spatial working memory in ADHD: new evidence for a storage rather than a processing deficit · 2026 · DOI

  • Dose equivalency conversions are based on pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and trial data, but significant inter-individual variability may exist, - Net clinical benefit depends on the risk-preference parameter λ, which represents value judgments rather than a fixed biological constant, - The study is limited by the availability of data on dose-response…

    Dose-response, net clinical benefit and optimal dose ranges of stimulants in children and adolescents with ADHD: a network meta-analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The small size and internal heterogeneity of subcortical nuclei, - The absence of standardized partition in rsfMRI studies, - No further parcellation was applied to these subcortical…

    Asymmetrical frontal–subcortical aberrations in ADHD: evidence for a developmental network model · 2026 · DOI

  • Study the effect of testosterone on synaptic function in juvenile or adult animals, as well as the relationship between this effect and ADHD - Confirm the role of testosterone in the glutamatergic system - Investigate the relationship between testosterone, neurogenesis, and ADHD, including the potential impact of environmental factors on neurogenesis-related gene…

    Dissecting the shared genetic architecture between testosterone traits and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder · 2026 · DOI

  • The specific hyperactivity factor demonstrated limited reliability, warranting cautious interpretation - Source-space EEG analysis has limited spatial resolution and may be affected by volume conduction - We were unable to fully replicate the current findings within the sex and age subgroups - Our findings are correlational…

    Dissociable EEG connectivity patterns reflect the latent general and specific dimensions of ADHD in children and adolescents · 2026 · DOI

  • Future studies using higher-resolution neuroimaging modalities (e.g., fMRI) may further elucidate the precise neural substrates of the general and specific dimensions of ADHD - Future longitudinal or interventional studies are required to verify the exact mechanistic roles of these neural…

    Dissociable EEG connectivity patterns reflect the latent general and specific dimensions of ADHD in children and adolescents · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of objective and transparent methods for ADHD diagnosis (“Explainable Artificial Intelligence Applied to the Characterisation of ADHD in…”, 2026); (2) The effectiveness of PUFA supplementation for ADHD outcomes is unclear (“Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) supplementation and ADHD outcomes in children…”, 2026); (3) The lack of understanding of age- and sex-specific incidence and temporal trends in ASD and ADHD diagnosis (“Trends and incidence rates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Danish children…”, 2026); (4) There is a need to identify nutrient patterns in children with ADHD and explore their association with behavioural symptoms (“Nutrient patterns in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: a…”, 2026); (5) There is a need for effective treatments for preschool-age children with ADHD symptoms (“Adaptive stepped care in preschool-age children with ADHD symptoms: a…”, 2026). 1,419 gap statements have been mined from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 7,472 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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