In this edition of abstract watch, we highlight a large outcome study by Setyawan et al, which explores the rate of optimal treatment success in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The low optimal treatment success rate clearly demonstrates the need for further exploration, and the authors call for a rethink of the current treatment protocols. We also highlight a study by Ichikawa et al, which investigates facial expression recognition in children with ADHD, something that has traditionally been confined to the sphere of autistic spectrum disorders. Despite the low sample size, the findings, that children with ADHD are more attuned to happy expressions than they are to angry expressions, are interesting and may further knowledge on the lack of danger-awareness principle in ADHD. The final abstract by Segenreich et al explores familial patterns of ADHD and co-morbidity, and raises an interesting point about maternal genetic influence being more dominant than paternal genetic influence.