Substance use disorder is a growing phenomenon among old adults. It is usually significantly undervalued, misidentified, under diagnosed and poorly treated. It has been related to cognitive impairment but there are few studies focused on the elderly.

To evaluate the relationship between drug use and cognitive impairment in old adults.

We conducted a prospective study (basal and 6 month follow up) in 67 patients over 65 years old seeking for treatment for drug misuse (alcohol and prescription drugs, mainly benzodiacepines) in addiction and dual diagnosis unit in Barcelona. A specific protocol was performed to evaluate attention, executive function, working memory, learning capacity, fonetic and visual fluency, decision-making, visual construction and cognitive flexibility (FCT, CPT-II, N-BACK, COWAT FAS, TAP, SDMT, IGT, CVLT, TOL, RFFT, STROOP). Patients were compared with a control group (healthy non drug users) with same characteristics (gender, age range and education status). The protocol consisted in two separated sessions of 90 minutes each one performed by a neuropsychologist.

Results obtained suggested that patients under drug misuse had worse scores in fluency, visual construction, memory and attention compared with controls. After 6 month treatment and achieving abstinence patients improve in cognitive skills as verbal learning, short-term memory and free recall of verbal information. Cognitive impairment profile changes depending on the substance abused (alcohol or benzodiacepines).

Drug use can produce deleterious effects in old adults. However, those who achieve abstinence may improve some cognitive functioning as verbal learning, short-term memory and free recall of verbal information.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a psychiatric chronic disorder of childhood that persists into adolescence and adulthood in the most part of cases. There are various ways of treating ADHD.

Assess the effectiveness and tolerability of atomoxetine long-term and routine clinical practice in adult ADHD treatment. Study the clinical profile of the patients who take atomoxetine.

The aim of this is to study the treatment of ADHD in adults with a non-stimulant drug atomoxetine.

We obtain results from 126 patients recruited from July 2009 to May 2013 who have been prescribed Atomoxetine as a treatment for ADHD from the hospital pharmacy.

Comorbid disorders were presented in 57.1% of the patients included at the study (25.3% of which belong to the group of anxiety disorders). The use of other psychotropic drugs associated with atomoxetine was observed in 54.8% of patients. The 62.7% of the patients concerned continued treatment beyond 225 weeks (4 years 3 months) of observation. The Clinical Global Impression Improvement scale (CGI-I) and side effects determine monitoring treatment. A total of 61.9% of patients responded satisfactory to treatment with atomoxetine getting the CGI-I scale a score of 1-2. The duration of therapy and patient age are factors that influence the response. Furthermore, the clinical profile of patients treated with atomoxetine is characterized by different comorbidities, anxious symptomatology and personality disorders. Atomoxetine treatment with has also been shown its effectiveness and safe despite the presence of concomitant comorbidities and psychopharmacological treatment.

Atomoxetine treatment with has been effective and has proven good tolerability profile during treatment.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prevalence in the general adult population is estimated to be between 2–4%. Despite the high prevalence, until recently there was only one validated semi-structured interview available for the accurate diagnostic assessment of ADHD within the adult population: the Conners Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID).

To examine the concurrent validity of the DIVA 2.0 interview comparing the diagnostic rate with the CAADID interview. To analyse the criterion validity of the DIVA 2.0 in the Spanish language in an adult sample.

The aim of this is to study was to evaluate criterion validity of the DIVA 2.0 in an adult sample comparing with the CAADID and other ADHD severity scales.

A transversal study was performed to check the criteria and concurrent validity of the DIVA 2.0 compared to the CAADID.

Forty patients were recruited in an adult ADHD program at a university hospital. The DIVA 2.0 interview showed a diagnostic accuracy of 100% when compared with the diagnoses obtained with the CAADID interview and goods correlations with three self-reported rating scales: the WURS, the ADHD Rating Scale and Sheehan's’ Dysfunction Inventory.

The DIVA 2.0 has good psychometric properties and is a reliable tool for the assessment of ADHD in adults.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.