"Sluggish Cognitive Tempo" Is the New Kid on the Attention-Disorder Block

By Joe Elia

An emerging diagnosis, not yet in the DSM, seems poised to enter the family of attention disorders. Called "sluggish cognitive tempo," it's reported in the New York Times to be a seemingly ill-defined target for ADHD-related drugs.

Characterized by lethargy, daydreaming, and slow mental processing, SCT is estimated to affect some 2 million children (roughly 6 million have ADHD). One researcher with strong ties to an ADHD drug maker says that SCT "has become the new attention disorder," according to the Times. Others aren't so sure. One expert warned: "We haven't even agreed on the symptom list — that's how early we are in the process."

Asked to comment, Peter Roy-Byrne, editor-in-chief of NEJM Journal Watch Psychiatry, expressed concern that SCT "will be used as a convenient easy diagnosis in lieu of evaluating things more carefully, especially from a psychological and behavioral perspective."