[Formula: see text]Differences in memory functioning between children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and epilepsy frequently co-occur.
• Both ADHD and epilepsy are linked to attention and memory impairments.
• Limited research has directly compared cognitive deficits in ADHD and epilepsy within a single sample.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate unique and shared deficits in working memory (WM), short-term memory (STM), and delayed recall.
• To compare cognitive performance in children with ADHD, focal epilepsy, comorbid ADHD/epilepsy, and typically developing controls.

Main Methods:

• Participants included children diagnosed with ADHD, focal epilepsy, comorbid ADHD/epilepsy, and controls.
• Cognitive assessments utilized the Core subtests and Picture Locations subtest of the Children's Memory Scale (CMS).
• Evaluated working memory, short-term memory, and delayed recall across different cognitive domains.

Main Results:

• Children with ADHD showed intact verbal WM and long-term memory (LTM), with deficits in focused attention and visual-spatial span (Numbers Forward, Picture Locations).
• Children with epilepsy exhibited poor focused attention and STM across modalities, impacting LTM encoding, with significant recall loss for passages.
• Children with comorbid ADHD/epilepsy displayed the most significant deficits, with additive attention and memory problems consistent with both disorders.

Conclusions:

• Focused attention and visual-spatial span are impaired in both ADHD and epilepsy.
• Additional short-term memory and encoding deficits appear specific to epilepsy.
• Comorbid ADHD/epilepsy results in additive cognitive deficits, underscoring the importance of regular attention and memory evaluations for these pediatric populations.