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

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.