A Neuro-behavioral Test and Algorithms for Screening and Evaluating Therapy in ADHD

A new neuro-behavioral test with analysis algorithms has been developed for use in screening individuals for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and for the quantitative evaluation of ADHD medication/therapy in diagnosed patients. This technique combines a 15 minute auditory-based test of attention with simultaneous EEG monitoring by a wireless, portable data acquisition device. This system acquires both behavioral response (i.e., reaction times to target stimuli, as well as errors of omission/commission) and EEG waveforms. All of the data is simultaneously processed by the algorithms to produce several representative indices. These indices are then combined to produce an overall neuro-behavioral index that represents the degree by which both "behavioral" and "EEG" attention is maintained throughout the test. This test was administered to 5 normal adolescents, and 5 aged-matched children with ADHD who were tested immediately before and one hour after their daily intake of ADHD medication. Both EEG-based and behavioral-response indices were statistically different in ADHD (before medication) compared with normal children. Furthermore, these indices showed an improvement after ADHD medication (values closer to those from normal children). Finally, the combined neuro-behavioral index was significantly more discriminating (normal vs pre-medication ADHD) and sensitive to medication than the indices solely based on EEG or behavioral response alone.