Reaction time variability associated with reading skills in poor readers with ADHD

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology

Background:

• Neuropsychological deficits, including response inhibition and processing speed, are linked to reading difficulties in children with ADHD and Reading Disorder.
• The relationship between neuropsychological functioning and higher-order reading skills (fluency, comprehension) in comorbid ADHD and Reading Disorder is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific neuropsychological functioning measures and various reading skills in children with ADHD and poor word reading.
• To determine if reaction time variability predicts word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.

Main Methods:

• Children with ADHD and below-average word reading (<25th percentile) participated.
• Participants completed the stop signal task (SST) measuring mean reaction time (MRT), reaction time standard deviation (SDRT), and stop signal reaction time (SSRT).
• Multivariate multiple regression analyses predicted reading skills (word reading, fluency, comprehension) from SST variables.

Main Results:

• Reaction time standard deviation (SDRT) significantly predicted word reading, reading fluency, and reading comprehension.
• Mean reaction time (MRT) and stop signal reaction time (SSRT) were not associated with any reading skill.
• The predictive effect of SDRT on reading fluency and comprehension was reduced when word reading was included in the models.

Conclusions:

• Reaction time variability (SDRT) is a significant predictor of reading skills in children with ADHD and poor word reading.
• These findings suggest that reaction time variability impacts reading fluency and comprehension indirectly, primarily through its effect on word decoding.
• Deficits in information processing and executive control, as indicated by SDRT, may underlie broader reading impairments.