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Inhibition in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a psychophysiological study of the stop task
Carin C E Overtoom1, J Leon Kenemans, Marinus N Verbaten
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Department of Psychopharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80082, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Insights
Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit abnormal brain activity, specifically in motor inhibition and error-detection processes, impacting their ability to control responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with executive function deficits.
- Inhibitory control is a key executive function often impaired in ADHD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate abnormal brain activity using event-related potentials (ERPs).
- To identify ERP correlates of deficient inhibitory control in children with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A stop-signal paradigm was employed to assess inhibitory control.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) and behavioral performance were recorded in children with ADHD and controls.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD demonstrated poorer inhibition and disproportionately longer stop-signal response times.
- ADHD children showed reduced fronto-central positivity during successful inhibition compared to controls.
- A diminished late positive wave, potentially linked to error detection, was observed in ADHD children.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest abnormalities in motor inhibition neural processes in ADHD.
- Results indicate potential deficits in error-detection mechanisms in children with ADHD.
Background:
The purpose of the study was to investigate and identify abnormal brain activity, as revealed by event-related potentials (ERPs) concurring with deficient inhibitory control in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Methods:
Performance and ERPs from 16 children with ADHD and 16 control subjects were compared in the stop-signal paradigm.
Results:
The ADHD children showed a lower inhibition percentage and their (estimated) response time to the stop signal was disproportionally longer compared to the slowing of reaction times to primary-task stimuli. In normal control subjects, fronto-central positivity (100-400 msec) after the onset of the stop-signal was larger in case of successful inhibition, relative to failed inhibition; this was less so in ADHD children. A late positive wave (500-700 msec), maximal at Oz on failed inhibition trials, and possibly related to error-detection, was smaller in ADHD children.
Conclusions:
These results point to abnormalities in brain processes involved in motor inhibition and error-detection in ADHD children.