scholarly journals Mapping the neuroanatomic substrates of cognition in familial attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 590-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Muster ◽  
Saadia Choudhury ◽  
Wendy Sharp ◽  
Steven Kasparek ◽  
Gustavo Sudre ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Skills ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Medication History ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Psychostimulant Medication

AbstractBackgroundWhile the neuroanatomic substrates of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been investigated, less is known about the neuroanatomic correlates of cognitive abilities pertinent to the disorder, particularly in adults. Here we define the neuroanatomic correlates of key cognitive abilities and determine if there are associations with histories of psychostimulant medication.MethodsWe acquired neuroanatomic magnetic resonance imaging data from 264 members of 60 families (mean age 29.5; s.d. 18.4, 116 with ADHD). Using linear mixed model regression, we tested for associations between cognitive abilities (working memory, information processing, intelligence, and attention), symptoms and both cortical and subcortical volumes.ResultsSymptom severity was associated with spatial working memory (t = −3.77, p = 0.0002), processing speed (t = −2.95, p = 0.004) and a measure of impulsive responding (t = 2.19, p = 0.03); these associations did not vary with age (all p > 0.1). Neuroanatomic associations of cognition varied by task but centered on prefrontal, lateral parietal and temporal cortical regions, the thalamus and putamen. The neuroanatomic correlates of ADHD symptoms overlapped significantly with those of working memory (Dice's overlap coefficient: spatial, p = 0.003; verbal, p = 0.001) and information processing (p = 0.02). Psychostimulant medication history was associated with neither cognitive skills nor with a brain–cognition relationships.ConclusionsDiagnostic differences in the cognitive profile of ADHD does not vary significantly with age; nor were cognitive differences associated with psychostimulant medication history. The neuroanatomic substrates of working memory and information overlapped with those for symptoms within these extended families, consistent with a pathophysiological role for these cognitive skills in familial ADHD.

Abnormal executive function in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: the effect of stimulant medication and age on spatial working memory

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 1107-1115 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. BARNETT ◽  
P. MARUFF ◽  
A. VANCE ◽  
E. S. L. LUK ◽  
J. COSTIN ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Stimulant Medication ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Control Subjects ◽  
Psychostimulant Medication

Objective. This study sought to examine the factors associated with spatial working memory and the use of strategies to impairments in spatial working memory in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The developmental trajectories for spatial working memory in medicated and medication naïve children with ADHD were investigated. In addition, the effect of psychostimulant medication on deficits in spatial working memory was examined.Method. A cross-sectional study compared performance between 21 psychostimulant medicated children with ADHD, 27 medication naïve children with ADHD and 26 matched control subjects on computerized tests of spatial memory and spatial working memory.Results. Compared with the controls, performance in medication naïve children with ADHD was significantly worse on the spatial working memory task. There was no difference in performance between the medicated children with ADHD and the control subjects on this same task, despite the ongoing symptoms of ADHD in the former group. The pattern of normal and abnormal performance in the ADHD groups was age-independent.Conclusions. Deficits in executive functions related to spatial working memory do occur in children with ADHD, although the magnitude of these deficits is not related to the child's age or the level of ADHD symptoms. These deficits were not present in the current sample of children who were receiving psychostimulant medication.

Questionnaire ratings of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults are associated with spatial working memory

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 256-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan H. Dowson ◽  
Andrew D. Blackwell ◽  
Danielle C. Turner ◽  
Elizabeth Harvey ◽  
Tina Malhotra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Past History ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Neurocognitive Performance ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
And Performance

AbstractObjectiveData related to brain function may have the potential to improve the reliability and validity of assessments for the aetiologically and clinically heterogeneous syndrome of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study investigated associations between questionnaire assessments of behavioural features of adults with ADHD and an aspect of neurocognitive performance which has been reported to be impaired in adults with ADHD.MethodsFifty-nine adult patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD, and their informants, completed questionnaires related to aspects of severity of ADHD. Associations were examined between questionnaire ratings and performance on a computer-administered task of spatial working memory (SWM).ResultsCorrelations between ratings of ADHD and SWM indicated moderate but significant correlations for patients' ratings, but not for informants' ratings. Also, patients who reported a past history of ‘self-harm’ (N = 33) had a significantly worse mean performance on both measures of SWM (p = 0.004, 0.003).ConclusionsThe results indicate that aspects of impulsivity, i.e. self-ratings of ‘emotive’ behaviour (involving rapid response to stimuli and marked reactivity of mood) and of past ‘self-harm’, show relatively strong associations with SWM performance in adults selected on the basis of an ADHD diagnosis. A profile of neurocognitive performances may have a role in the assessment of ADHD.

scholarly journals A head-to-head randomized clinical trial of methylphenidate and atomoxetine treatment for executive function in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1959-1973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsing-Chang Ni ◽  
Chi-Yung Shang ◽  
Susan Shur-Fen Gau ◽  
Yu-Ju Lin ◽  
Hui-Chun Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trial ◽  
Attention Deficit ◽  
Spatial Planning ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Psychiatric Interview ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract Results regarding the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on executive functions were inconsistent and no study has directly compared the efficacy of these two medications in improving executive functions in adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We conducted an 8–10 wk, open-label, head-to-head, randomized clinical trial involving adults with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD confirmed by psychiatric interview. The two treatment arms were immediate-release methylphenidate (IR-methylphenidate) (n = 31) and atomoxetine once daily (n = 32). Executive functions were assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), including spatial working memory, spatial span, intra-extra dimensional set shifts, rapid visual information processing and Stockings of Cambridge (SOC). In addition to the symptom assessments at baseline (week 0), visit 2 (week 4–5) and visit 3 (week 8–10), they received CANTAB assessments at baseline and visit 3 (60.4 ± 6.3 d). Compared to baseline, adults treated with atomoxetine showed significant improvement in spatial working memory, spatial short-term memory, sustained attention and spatial planning at visit 3; adults treated with IR-methylphenidate showed significant improvement in spatial working memory at visit 3. Comparing the magnitude of improvement in executive functions between these two medications, the effect was generally similar for the two groups, although atomoxetine might have significantly greater efficacy than IR-methylphenidate in terms of improving spatial planning (SOC). Our results provide evidence to support that both IR-methylphenidate and atomoxetine improved various executive functions in adults with ADHD with greater improvement in atomoxetine than IR-methylphenidate in spatial planning.

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