Neurodevelopmental Variations Cascading from Age 10 Months to 3 Years Leading to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Autism Traits at Age 9 in a General Population

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Neurodevelopmental Variations Cascading from Age 10 Months to 3 Years Leading to Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Autism Traits at Age 9 in a General Population
Language: English
Authors: Kenji J. Tsuchiya (ORCID 0000-0002-1314-4199), Nagahide Takahashi (ORCID 0000-0002-7711-0297), Yoko Nomura (ORCID 0000-0002-2143-3257), Jeffrey H. Newcorn, Shigenobu Toda, Yuuka Ishikawa-Omori, Akemi Okumura, Mohammad Shafiur Rahman, Toshiki Iwabuchi, Taeko Harada, Ikue Hirata, Chikako Nakayasu, Yuko Amma, Haruka Suzuki, Tomoko Nishimura (ORCID 0000-0002-4776-5153)
Source: JCPP Advances. 2026 6(2).
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 10
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Autism Spectrum Disorders, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Children, Young Children, Motor Development, Cognitive Ability, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: Japan
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Mullen Scales of Early Learning, Social Responsiveness Scale
DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.70053
ISSN: 2692-9384
Abstract: Background: Neurodevelopmental delay precedes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. However, exactly when this emerges in association with these outcomes remains unclear. We investigated (1) the earliest representations of neurodevelopmental variation and (2) what neurodevelopmental variations at an early age (10 months to 3 years) are specifically associated with the emergence of parentally reported behavioral traits of ADHD, ASD, and related disorders at age 9. Methods: Children from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort of Mothers and Children (HBC Study) born between December 2007 and March 2012 were enrolled and followed from birth to age 9. Standardized scores of neurodevelopment across five domains (gross motor, visual reception, fine motor, receptive language, and expressive language) were calculated using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at ages 10, 14, 18, 24, 32, and 40 months. ADHD and ASD traits were ascertained as Z-scores using the ADHD-Rating Scale and Social Responsiveness Scale-2 at age 9. To explore the earliest recognition of neurodevelopmental variation with credibility, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the total effects of the linear associations between exposures and outcomes. Results: 836 children (405 females, 48%) were enrolled in the analysis. The ADHD trait was associated with visual reception score before age 1 and was concurrent with both fine motor and receptive language scores between ages 1-2. The ASD trait was associated with gross motor score before age 1 and expressive language score between ages 1.5 and 3. Conclusion: Suboptimal visual-motor coordination can be a prototype of the ADHD trait, while a cascading pattern of suboptimalities from gross motor to language domains can be a prototype of the ASD trait. The distinct neurodevelopmental variations related to ADHD and ASD traits running in the general population can be found before age 1.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1508683
Database: ERIC
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Abstract:Background: Neurodevelopmental delay precedes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses. However, exactly when this emerges in association with these outcomes remains unclear. We investigated (1) the earliest representations of neurodevelopmental variation and (2) what neurodevelopmental variations at an early age (10 months to 3 years) are specifically associated with the emergence of parentally reported behavioral traits of ADHD, ASD, and related disorders at age 9. Methods: Children from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort of Mothers and Children (HBC Study) born between December 2007 and March 2012 were enrolled and followed from birth to age 9. Standardized scores of neurodevelopment across five domains (gross motor, visual reception, fine motor, receptive language, and expressive language) were calculated using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning at ages 10, 14, 18, 24, 32, and 40 months. ADHD and ASD traits were ascertained as Z-scores using the ADHD-Rating Scale and Social Responsiveness Scale-2 at age 9. To explore the earliest recognition of neurodevelopmental variation with credibility, structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the total effects of the linear associations between exposures and outcomes. Results: 836 children (405 females, 48%) were enrolled in the analysis. The ADHD trait was associated with visual reception score before age 1 and was concurrent with both fine motor and receptive language scores between ages 1-2. The ASD trait was associated with gross motor score before age 1 and expressive language score between ages 1.5 and 3. Conclusion: Suboptimal visual-motor coordination can be a prototype of the ADHD trait, while a cascading pattern of suboptimalities from gross motor to language domains can be a prototype of the ASD trait. The distinct neurodevelopmental variations related to ADHD and ASD traits running in the general population can be found before age 1.
ISSN:2692-9384
DOI:10.1002/jcv2.70053