Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026

Measuring Attentional Biases for Threat in Children and Adults
Published on: October 19, 2014
Impact of anxiety disorders on attentional functions in children with ADHD
Timo D Vloet1, Kerstin Konrad, Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann
1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. tvloet@ukaachen.de
Introduction:
The impact of internalizing comorbid disorders on cognitive functions in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is hardly understood. While inconsistent findings exist with respect to the modulating effect of anxiety on impulsivity in ADHD, only few neuropsychological studies focused on other attention parameters. This is the first study that examines the influence of anxiety disorders (ANX) on ADHD in a model-oriented approach including selectivity and intensity parameters of attention.
Methods:
Children with ADHD, ADHD+ANX and healthy controls (n=34 for each group, all aged 8-15years) participated in five neuropsychological tasks (alertness, sustained attention, divided attention, go/no-go and set-shifting). Group differences were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) for each dependent variable, with group as independent variable.
Results:
Data indicated that children with ADHD performed worse than healthy controls with regard to almost all parameters of attention. While ANX had no mitigating effect on impulsivity in ADHD, performance in sustained attention and selective attention tasks of children with ADHD+ANX was better than that of children with ADHD only.
Limitations:
Since the present data were derived from a large neuropsychological data base which focused primary on children with ADHD and different comorbidities no comparison to a "pure" ANX group was possible.
Conclusions:
These findings might indicate that ADHD+ANX constitute a cognitively distinct subtype, with possible individual symptomatology, development and therapeutic needs. Further investigations are needed to clarify the specificity of these findings and to disentangle the impact of trait versus state anxiety on neuropsychological performance in children with ADHD.
More Related Videos
05:32Comparing Eye-tracking Data of Children with High-functioning ASD, Comorbid ADHD, and of a Control Watching Social Videos
Published on: December 7, 2018
10:02Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and other EEG Based Methods for Extracting Biomarkers of Brain Dysfunction: Examples from Pediatric Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Published on: March 12, 2020
Related Concept Videos
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
These core symptoms manifest differently among individuals, ranging from mild to severe. The disorder's complexity extends beyond its clinical presentation, encompassing a diverse range of biological, cognitive, and sociocultural influences.
Anxiety: Overview
Individuals with anxiety often experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms, including sweating, trembling, tachycardia, and disturbances in sleep patterns. These symptoms vary in intensity and frequency but are generally disruptive and distressing.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Modeling in Therapy
Participant Modeling
Participant modeling involves therapists demonstrating calm and effective behaviors in situations...