PRIDE- version 2.1

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Personality Research In ADHD and Emotional instability (PRIDE)

  • IRAS ID

    178502

  • Contact name

    Philip Asherson

  • Contact email

    philip.asherson@kcl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    King's College London

  • Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier

    N/A, N/A

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    2 years, 0 months, 0 days

  • Research summary

    BACKGROUND
    Research has shown a great symptomatic overlap between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). One of the key overlapping features is emotional lability (EL). EL refers to rapid and exaggerated changes in mood where very strong emotions and feelings are expressed (i.e. heightened irritability or temper). However there is lack of studies using real-world experience sampling to provide detailed accounts of EL in ADHD and BPD populations. By investigating EL in a detailed way we wish to address the question of whether the characteristics of EL in ADHD and BPD are the same or different.

    OBJECTIVES
    This study aims to provide a detailed characterization of the clinical presentation of EL in ADHD and BPD adults and normative controls. The study will further examine other clinical features linked to ADHD such as frustration tolerance and mind wandering (MW), to discover whether these reflect unique features to ADHD or BPD that could be used as differentiating factors for better diagnoses.

    CLINICAL BENEFITS
    By broadening our understanding of EL symptomatology in ADHD and BPD adults, we aim to improve accurate diagnoses leading to effective interventions and/or treatment strategies for those suffering from either one of the disorders or the co-morbid condition. Moreover, it is essential to find out how distinct these disorders are and how they can be diagnosed accurately. For example we will evaluate whether a subset of BPD patients have ADHD, which would then suggest they might benefit from specific treatments targeted at ADHD. Evaluating the specific effects of treatment is however beyond the specific aims of this study but might represent an important area for future research that could follow from this initial study.

    Participating in this research project involves filling out some home-sent questionnaires (, which will take around 15 minutes to complete, then coming to the St. Pancras or the Whittington Hospital for a research session lasting approximately 2 ½ hours. During this session the clinical research team will ask the participants some questions about their mental well-being, and ask them to complete some tasks which will assess their thinking and learning, and look at how they respond to these tasks using heart rate, galvanic skin response measures and EEG. Participants will also be asked to carry a mood-monitoring device for 5 days after the research appointment. This is a small device that can fit into the pocket. It will alert the participants (with a beeping sound or vibration) 8 times a day (around every 1-2 hours), at which point they will be asked to answer some questions about how they feel, which will take about 2 minutes each time.

  • REC name

    London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    15/LO/1280

  • Date of REC Opinion

    29 Sep 2015

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion