ADHD subtype differences in motivational responsivity but not inhibitory control: evidence from a reward-based...

In this study we examined prepotent motor inhibition and responsiveness to reward using a variation of the stop signal reaction time (SSRT) task in clinic- and community-recruited children ages 7 to 12 with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder-inattentive type (ADHD-I), ADHD-combined type (ADHD-C), and non-ADHD controls. Contrary to theoretical expectations, we found evidence for inhibitory weaknesses in ADHD-I. We also found evidence that although children with ADHD-I were able to improve their inhibitory control given reward-based motivation, the improvement depended on the order of reward conditions. Results suggest that the 2 primary subtypes of ADHD share similar neuropsychological weaknesses in inhibitory control but that there are subtype differences in response to success and failure that contribute to a child's ultimate level of performance.