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Response switching process in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder on the novel continuous
Yuki Inoue1, Masumi Inagaki, Atsuko Gunji
1Department of Developmental Disorders, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan. yinoue@ncnp.go.jp
Insights
Children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) struggle with response switching on tasks requiring inhibition. This difficulty was evident in increased commission errors during switched trials compared to repeated trials.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention and hyperactivity.
- Previous research indicates executive function deficits in children with ADHD, impacting cognitive control.
- Understanding trial-to-trial performance variations is crucial for characterizing ADHD-related cognitive impairments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of previous trial type on subsequent performance in a continuous performance test (CPT).
- To compare response switching abilities between children with ADHD and neurotypical children.
- To determine if specific error types (omission vs. commission) are differentially affected by trial history in ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A novel continuous performance test (CPT) with 50% target probability was administered to 35 children with ADHD and 33 comparison children.
- Performance metrics analyzed included reaction time, reaction time variability, omission errors, and commission errors.
- Trials were categorized as 'repeated' (requiring the same response consecutively) or 'switched' (requiring a different response).
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited a significantly greater increase in commission error rate from repeated to switched trials compared to controls, indicating heightened switch costs.
- Omission error rates were not significantly affected by trial history (repeated vs. switched) in either group.
- The findings suggest that children with ADHD experience particular difficulty with response inhibition during switching.
Conclusions:
- Children with ADHD demonstrate impaired response switching, specifically when inhibitory control is required.
- The increased commission errors in switched trials highlight a deficit in cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control in ADHD.
- These results underscore the importance of considering trial history and inhibitory demands in CPT performance assessment for ADHD.
Abstract:
We examined the effects of previous trials on subsequent trials on performance in the continuous performance test (CPT) in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Thirty-five non-medicated children with ADHD (31 males, four females; mean age 9y 10mo [SD 2y 4mo]) and 33 comparison children (20 males, 13 females; mean age 10y [SD 2y 7mo]) were tested using a novel CPT, in which stimuli were presented with 50% target probability. Reaction time, reaction time variability, omission, and commission error rate were analyzed for two different types of trials in which different responses (switched trials) or the same responses (repeated trials) were required for two consecutive trials. Compared with the comparison group, children with ADHD showed a greater increase in commission error rate from repeated to switched trials, i.e. increased switch cost for commission error rate. On the other hand, omission error rate was not influenced by the previous trial in both ADHD and comparison groups. These results suggest that children with ADHD have trouble in response switching when an inhibitory process is involved.
