scholarly journals Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Comorbidity Overlaps Between Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder and Specific Learning Disorders

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulia Crisci ◽  
Sara Caviola ◽  
Ramona Cardillo ◽  
Irene C. Mammarella

The present study examines the comorbidity between specific learning disorders (SLD) and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by comparing the neuropsychological profiles of children with and without this comorbidity. Ninety-seven schoolchildren from 8 to 14 years old were tested: a clinical sample of 49 children with ADHD (n = 18), SLD (n = 18) or SLD in comorbidity with ADHD (n = 13), and 48 typically-developing (TD) children matched for age and intelligence. Participants were administered tasks and questionnaires to confirm their initial diagnosis, and a battery of executive function (EF) tasks testing inhibition, shifting, and verbal and visuospatial updating. Using one-way ANOVAs, our results showed that all children in the clinical samples exhibited impairments on EF measures (inhibition and shifting tasks) when compared with TD children. A more specific pattern only emerged for the updating tasks. Only children with SLD had significant impairment in verbal updating, whereas children with ADHD, and those with SLD in comorbidity with ADHD, had the worst performance in visuospatial updating. The clinical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wayne Levick

AbstractNeuropsychological assessement of children with ADHD is reviewed in the light of recent research and clincial practice. Traditional psychometric approaches may fail to reveal dificiencies in such children and perfomance levels have to be considered with care due to teh potential confounding effects of attention deficit. Examination of qualitative features of preformance and extension of the range of assessment instruments to include those more sensitive to frontal systems dysfunction are proposed. The distinction between ADHD and specific learning disorders on the basis of neuropsychological assessment and the application in educational management is discussed.


2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley N. Simone ◽  
Anne-Claude V. Bédard ◽  
David J. Marks ◽  
Jeffrey M. Halperin

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine working memory (WM) modalities (visual-spatial and auditory-verbal) and processes (maintenance and manipulation) in children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The sample consisted of 63 8-year-old children with ADHD and an age- and sex-matched non-ADHD comparison group (N=51). Auditory-verbal and visual-spatial WM were assessed using the Digit Span and Spatial Span subtests from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Integrated - Fourth Edition. WM maintenance and manipulation were assessed via forward and backward span indices, respectively. Data were analyzed using a 3-way Group (ADHD vs. non-ADHD)×Modality (Auditory-Verbal vs. Visual-Spatial)×Condition (Forward vs. Backward) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Secondary analyses examined differences between Combined and Predominantly Inattentive ADHD presentations. Significant Group×Condition (p=.02) and Group×Modality (p=.03) interactions indicated differentially poorer performance by those with ADHD on backward relative to forward and visual-spatial relative to auditory-verbal tasks, respectively. The 3-way interaction was not significant. Analyses targeting ADHD presentations yielded a significant Group×Condition interaction (p=.009) such that children with ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive Presentation performed differentially poorer on backward relative to forward tasks compared to the children with ADHD-Combined Presentation. Findings indicate a specific pattern of WM weaknesses (i.e., WM manipulation and visual-spatial tasks) for children with ADHD. Furthermore, differential patterns of WM performance were found for children with ADHD-Predominantly Inattentive versus Combined Presentations. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1–11)


Author(s):  
Robert L. Mapou

Testing to determine if adolescents or adults have a specific learning disorder or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a niche practice area for psychologists experienced with assessment. Testing may be done to update earlier documentation or to determine whether an individual having difficulty in school or on the job has a learning disability or ADHD that accounts for his or her difficulties. Often, one goal of these evaluations is to determine if an individual qualifies for accommodations on classroom and standardized tests. This chapter describe the author’s training and the information clinicians need to have to complete these evaluations. Clinicians must be familiar with research on learning disabilities and ADHD in adolescents and adults, so that their evaluations will be evidence based, and with disability law. The positive and negative aspects of this practice area and business considerations are discussed. The chapter concludes with advice for how clinicians interested in these evaluations can obtain training.


2005 ◽  
Vol 63 (2b) ◽  
pp. 407-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabella Souza ◽  
Maria Antônia Pinheiro ◽  
Paulo Mattos

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of anxiety disorders in a clinical referred sample of children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHOD: 78 children and adolescents with ADHD according to DSM-IV criteria were investigated with a semi-structured interview (P-CHIPS), complemented by clinical interviews with the children or adolescents and their parents. Their IQ was calculated with neuropsychological testing. RESULTS: A high prevalence of anxiety disorders (23.05%) was found in the sample. Generalized anxiety disorder was the most prevalent disorder (12,8%), followed by social phobia (3,84%) and separation anxiety disorder (3,8%). Two children showed more than one anxiety disorder. CONCLUSION: Children and adolescents with ADHD seem to be more prone to have comorbid anxiety disorders, at least in clinical samples referred to specialized units.


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-278
Author(s):  
Dwi Fitri Genisti ◽  
Ni Komang Sukra Andini ◽  
Ni Luh Gede Puspita Yanti

Background: Child development is a very important phase, which children learn various skills as future generations in the future. Disorders that can impede child development process of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Children with ADHD have problems with cognitive abilities, of which about 20-60% of them have learning disorders. The efforts to support cognitive development in ADHD children is to approach the child's environment through parenting parents. Objective: This study aimed to determine the correlation of parenting style with cognitive development in the children with ADHD in SLB Negeri 1 Denpasar. Methods: This study used correlational design with cross sectional approach. The sample size of 30 respondents were taken by purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using parenting style questionnaire (PSQ) and the average value of odd semester report of 2016/2017 academic year. Results:  The result of this research was found that most parents with democratic parenting type were 19 people (63.3%), authoritarian parenting type were 7 people (23.3%) and permissive parenting were 4 people (13.3%). The result of contingency coefficient test with p-value = 0.039 (p <0.05) and correlation value of 0.501, which mean there was high correlation between parenting style with cognitive development in children with ADHD. Conclusion: It is suggested for parents with ADHD children to be able to provide good parenting for the child's development, especially for the child's cognitive development.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Grandjean ◽  
Isabel Suarez ◽  
Aline Miquee ◽  
David DaFonseca ◽  
Laurence Anne Casini

The deficit in “interference control” commonly reported in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) could be due to at least two distinct processes, which are not disentangled in most studies: a larger susceptibility to activating prepotent response impulses and a deficit in suppressing them. In this study, we investigated the effect of 1/ADHD and 2/ MPH, on these two components of interference control.We compared interference control between children with ADHD without medication, children with ADHD under methylphenidate (MPH), and typically developing children performing a Simon conflict task.The main findings were that 1/ children with ADHD were more susceptible to reacting impulsively but less efficient at suppressing impulsive actions than typically developing children, and 2/ MPH improved the selective inhibition of impulsive actions but did not modify the strength of response impulse activation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurélie Grandjean ◽  
Isabel Suarez ◽  
David DaFonseca ◽  
Laurence Anne Casini

The deficit in “interference control” commonly reported in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) could be due to at least two distinct processes, which are not disentangled in most studies: a larger susceptibility to activating prepotent response impulses and a deficit in suppressing them. In this study, we investigated the effect of 1/ADHD and 2/ MPH, on these two components of interference control.We compared interference control between children with ADHD without medication, children with ADHD under methylphenidate (MPH), and typically developing children performing a Simon conflict task.The main findings were that 1/ children with ADHD were more susceptible to reacting impulsively but less efficient at suppressing impulsive actions than typically developing children, and 2/ MPH improved the selective inhibition of impulsive actions but did not modify the strength of response impulse activation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9948
Author(s):  
Angelika Becker ◽  
Monika Daseking ◽  
Julia Kerner auch Koerner

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has a high comorbidity with specific learning disorders (SLD). Children with ADHD and children with SLD show specific cognitive deficits. This study aims to examine similarities and differences between cognitive profiles of children with ADHD + SLD, children with SLD only, and a control group to find out whether specific or shared deficits can be identified for the groups. We compared the WISC-V profiles of 62 children with ADHD and SLD (19 girls, M-age = 10.44; SD = 2.44), 35 children with SLD (13 girls, M-age = 10.21; SD = 2.11) and 62 control children without ADHD or SLD (19 girls, M-age = 10.42; SD = 2.39). The ADHD + SLD group performed worse than the control group in the WISC-V indices WMI, PSI, FSIQ, AWMI, CPI and worse than the SLD group in these indices and the VCI, NVI and GAI. Therefore, compared to children with SLD, children with ADHD + SLD did not show specific impairments in any particular cognitive domain but rather non-specific impairment in almost all indices. Hence, the WISC-V is suited to depict the cognitive strength and weaknesses of an individual child as a basis for targeted intervention.


2019 ◽  
Vol 122 (6) ◽  
pp. 2427-2437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madeline M. Robertson ◽  
Sarah Furlong ◽  
Bradley Voytek ◽  
Thomas Donoghue ◽  
Charlotte A. Boettiger ◽  
...  

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattentiveness. Efforts toward the development of a biologically based diagnostic test have identified differences in the EEG power spectrum; most consistently reported is an increased ratio of theta to beta power during resting state in those with the disorder, compared with controls. Current approaches calculate theta/beta ratio using fixed frequency bands, but the observed differences may be confounded by other relevant features of the power spectrum, including shifts in peak oscillation frequency and altered slope or offset of the aperiodic 1/ f-like component of the power spectrum. In the present study, we quantify the spectral slope and offset, peak alpha frequency, and band-limited and band-ratio oscillatory power in the resting-state EEG of 3- to 7-yr-old children with and without ADHD. We found that medication-naive children with ADHD had higher alpha power, greater offsets, and steeper slopes compared with typically developing children. Children with ADHD who were treated with stimulants had comparable slopes and offsets to the typically developing group despite a 24-h medication-washout period. We further show that spectral slope correlates with traditional measures of theta/beta ratio, suggesting the utility of slope as a neural marker over and above traditional approaches. Taken with past research demonstrating that spectral slope is associated with executive functioning and excitatory/inhibitory balance, these results suggest that altered slope of the power spectrum may reflect pathology in ADHD. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This article highlights the clinical utility of comprehensively quantifying features of the EEG power spectrum. Using this approach, we identify, for the first time, differences in the aperiodic components of the EEG power spectrum in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and provide evidence that spectral slope is a robust indictor of an increase in low- relative to high-frequency power in ADHD.


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