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Executive dysfunction screening and intelectual coefficient measurement in children with attention deficit

Elizabeth Zambrano-Sánchez1, José A Martínez-Cortés, Yolanda Del Rió-Carlos

  • 1Laboratory of Cognitive Neurophysiology, National Institute of Rehabilitation, Mexico City, Mexico.

Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|August 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Children with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show executive function (EF) alterations, particularly in the inattentive subtype. The Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) effectively screens these cognitive differences.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology

Background:

  • Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder affecting children.
  • Executive functions (EF) are crucial cognitive processes that appear to be impaired in individuals with ADHD.
  • Understanding these impairments is vital for effective diagnosis and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive Intelligence Quotient (IQ) assessment, including verbal, performance, and total scores.
  • To compare executive function (EF) measurements between children with ADHD subgroups and a control group.
  • To evaluate the utility of specific Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) sub-tests for screening EF alterations in ADHD.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of children aged 7-12 years was recruited from public elementary schools.
  • Participants were screened for ADHD using DSM-IV-R parent and teacher questionnaires.
  • Executive functions were assessed using WISC-R performance IQ sub-tests (picture completion, block designs, object assembly), alongside full IQ measurements.

Main Results:

  • Children with ADHD, across combined, inattentive, and hyperactive subtypes, exhibited significantly lower EF scores compared to controls.
  • Specifically, the inattentive ADHD subgroup (ADHD-I) showed significantly lower Performance IQ (P-IQ) and Total IQ (T-IQ) scores.
  • The WISC-R sub-tests used for EF screening demonstrated significant differences among ADHD subtypes and controls.

Conclusions:

  • Screening for EF alterations in children with ADHD is feasible and rapid using specific WISC-R performance IQ sub-scales.
  • Children with ADHD, as a group, demonstrate executive function deficits.
  • The inattentive subtype of ADHD is associated with lower overall cognitive functioning as indicated by P-IQ and T-IQ scores.
Abstract

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