Examining the triad of sensory processing, ADHD symptoms, and executive functioning in adults with ADHD: Evidence from a multi-measure assessment

• Sensory processing patterns interact with core ADHD symptoms to affect executive functioning performance in adults. • In adults with ADHD, heightened sensation seeking in combination with inattention or hyperactivity is associated with poorer performance on working memory tasks and inhibitory control measures. • In healthy controls, sensory profiles characterized by low registration and sensation avoidance appear to buffer against distractibility, facilitating more efficient cognitive processing. • The interplay between sensory processing and ADHD symptoms indicates that therapeutic approaches for ADHD might benefit from a dual focus i.e. to address both core symptomatology and individual sensory processing traits. Executive function (EF) impairments are well-documented in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Beyond these cognitive deficits, individuals with ADHD often report atypical sensory processing, but the extent to which sensory processing patterns interact with ADHD symptoms to shape EF performance remains poorly understood. Forty adults diagnosed with ADHD and 39 healthy controls completed a battery of EF tasks (Stop-Signal, Digit Span, PASAT, Stroop, Corsi, Cued Switching). ADHD symptoms were assessed with the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS), and sensory processing with the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). General linear models were estimated for each EF outcome, including group status, ADHD symptom dimensions, sensory processing domains, and their interactions. Correction for multiple comparisons was applied within interaction families (Holm). The ADHD group showed robust alterations in working memory and inhibitiory control compared with controls. Interaction analyses suggested that sensory processing styles can affect EF performance in opposite ways across groups: in ADHD, certain combinations of symptoms and sensory patterns were associated with worsened working memory and inhibition outcomes, whereas in controls, similar patterns tended to coincide with enhanced performance. However, these interactions did not remain significant after correction for multiple testing. The findings confirm robust EF alterations in ADHD and point to a potential, but as yet inconclusive, role of sensory processing in modulating EF. This highlights the importance of considering sensory–cognitive interactions in ADHD, while underlining the need for replication in larger, well-powered samples.