Frontal theta/beta ratio changes during TOVA in Egyptian ADHD children
Islam F Halawa1, Basma B El Sayed, Omnia R Amin
1Department of Human Genetics, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
Insights
Egyptian children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show altered frontal theta/beta ratios during cognitive tasks. This electroencephalography (EEG) finding may aid in diagnosing mild ADHD cases.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pediatric Neurology
- Clinical Electrophysiology
Background:
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) measures brain electrical activity, with specific frequency ratios like theta/beta being investigated as potential biomarkers.
- Understanding EEG alterations in ADHD is crucial for diagnostic and therapeutic advancements.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate frontal theta/beta ratio differences in Egyptian children diagnosed with ADHD compared to neurotypical controls.
- To examine these ratios during resting state and during the performance of the Tests of Variance of Attention (TOVA).
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 104 Egyptian children, divided into an ADHD group and a normal control group (52 children each).
- EEG recordings were obtained during a resting state with eyes open and while performing the TOVA cognitive task.
- Frontal theta/beta ratios were calculated and compared between the two groups under both conditions.
Main Results:
- Statistically significant differences in the frontal theta/beta ratio were observed between the ADHD and control groups in both resting and TOVA conditions.
- In neurotypical children, the theta/beta ratio decreased during the concentration-demanding TOVA task.
- Conversely, children with ADHD exhibited an increased theta/beta ratio during the TOVA task, displaying a distinct pattern.
Conclusions:
- The frontal theta/beta ratio demonstrates significant alterations in Egyptian children with ADHD.
- The observed pattern of change in the theta/beta ratio during cognitive load may serve as a valuable tool.
- This EEG-derived measure shows potential utility in assisting the differential diagnosis of mild ADHD presentations.
Objective:
To spot the frontal theta/beta ratio alterations during Tests of Variance of Attention (TOVA) in Egyptian attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children.
Methods:
This is a cross sectional study performed in Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Cairo University, Egypt. It included 2 groups, each of 52 children (one of them with ADHD and the other were normal control). EEG was recorded for every subject during normal relaxing circumstance with eyes opened as well as during TOVA.
Results:
Comparing both groups revealed statistically significant difference in the theta/beta ratio in both state (normal relaxing with eyes opened and during TOVA), also we found that the theta/beta ratio decreased in normal group (during concentration) while in the ADHD group it increased with a specific pattern.
Conclusion:
The theta/beta ratio can be of value in helping for differential diagnosis in patients presenting with mild ADHD.
