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Neuropsychological functioning, motor speed, and language processing in boys with and without ADHD
E T Carte1, J T Nigg, S P Hinshaw
1Department of Pediatrics, Permanente Medical Group, San Rafael, California 94903.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology
|August 1, 1996
Summary
Boys with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show deficits in language and motor skills, particularly on tasks requiring controlled processing. These findings highlight the importance of specific assessment methods for ADHD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting executive functions.
- Previous research suggests executive function deficits in ADHD, but specific processing differences require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate information processing differences in children with ADHD compared to typically developing peers.
- To examine the impact of automated versus controlled processing on task performance in ADHD.
- To evaluate the utility of specific neuropsychological tasks for assessing ADHD-related deficits.
Main Methods:
- Administered a neuropsychological battery to boys aged 6-12 with ADHD (n=51) and controls (n=31).
- Included nonautomated and automated language and motor tasks with fast instructional sets.
- Utilized traditional frontal executive measures like Porteus mazes.
Main Results:
- Boys with ADHD demonstrated greater difficulty on nonautomated tasks and one frontal executive measure (Porteus mazes).
- Controlled processing tasks better differentiated ADHD from control groups than automated tasks.
- The ADHD group exhibited slow gross motor output, independent of verbal output.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest an output deficit mediated by response organization in ADHD.
- Language deficits may relate to frontal lobe processes involved in self-monitoring and planning.
- Controlled processing, self-paced tasks with fast instructional sets are valuable for assessing ADHD-related language and motor skills.