An event-related potential study of P300 in preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Mengjiao Tao1, Jing Sun1, Siqi Liu2
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, China.
Insights
Preschool children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) show delayed P300 brainwave responses and altered amplitudes compared to healthy peers, indicating early cognitive impairments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder affecting preschool-aged children.
- Early identification and understanding of cognitive function in young children with ADHD are crucial for timely intervention.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs), such as the P300 wave, offer insights into cognitive processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the event-related potential P300 in preschool children with ADHD (aged 4-6 years).
- To compare cognitive function, assessed via P300, between children with ADHD and healthy controls.
- To explore novel methods for studying cognitive function in preschool children diagnosed with ADHD.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 73 preschool children (4-6 years) was recruited, comprising 45 with ADHD and 28 healthy controls.
- Event-related potential P300 was measured in all participants.
- P300 wave amplitude and latency were systematically compared between the ADHD and control groups.
Main Results:
- Children with ADHD exhibited significantly longer P300 latency across multiple electrode sites (Fz, Cz, Pz, Oz, C3, C4) compared to controls (p < 0.05).
- Elevated P300 wave amplitudes were observed in children with ADHD at the Pz and Oz electrode sites.
- These findings suggest distinct electrophysiological differences in cognitive processing between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Preschoolers with ADHD demonstrate prolonged P300 latency and altered amplitude patterns, particularly along the central and posterior scalp regions.
- These P300 differences indicate potential impairments in attention and cognitive functions in young children with ADHD.
- The study highlights P300 analysis as a valuable tool for assessing cognitive function in preschool children with ADHD.
Objective:
To study the characteristics of event related potential P300 in preschool children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) aged 4-6 years (4≤ age <6), and to explore the differences in cognitive function compared with healthy children. To explore a new method for the study of cognitive function in preschool children with ADHD.
Methods:
A total of 73 preschool children aged 4-6 years were selected from the outpatient clinic of Neurology Department, the ADHD-specialized Clinic and Health Care Department of the Children's Hospital Affiliated to the Capital Institute of Pediatrics from March 2021 to May 2024. They were divided into the ADHD group (45 cases) and healthy children group (28 cases). Event related potential P300 was measured in all children and the amplitude and latency of the wave were compared between the two groups separately.
Results:
The latency of P300 at all the recording electrodes (Fz, Cz, Pz, Oz, C3, C4) in the ADHD group was significantly longer than controls (p < 0.05). The wave amplitudes of children with ADHD were significantly higher than controls at Pz and Oz points.
Conclusion:
The differences between two groups in P300 test show that preschool children with ADHD present longer latency at central line of the brain and bilateral central lobes compared with healthy children, and higher amplitude at the central parietal lobe and central occipital lobe. It may suggest that attention cognition has already impaired in preschool children with ADHD.
