Search

Objective: There is an updated conceptualization of whole-lifespan attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), promoted by awareness of probable persistence of impairment into adulthood. We investigated cognition trajectories from adolescence to mid-adulthood in ADHD. Method: Data of 240 patients with ADHD and 244 healthy controls (HCs) were obtained; clinical symptoms and neuropsychological functions were assessed using the various tests. Results: Compared to HCs, patients with ADHD except 35 to 44 age interval showed lower full scale intelligence quotient. They showed decreased verbal comprehensive scores except in the 35 to 44 age interval and working memory scores in all intervals. In the Comprehensive Attention Test, patients with ADHD showed increased working memory error frequencies except in the 15 to 17 age interval and divided attention omission error in all intervals. Conclusion: Adults with ADHD showed deficits not in simple attention but in complex attention, including divided attention and working memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective There is a high prevalence of problematic online gaming in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the current study, we compared the effectiveness of atomoxetine (ATM) and methylphenidate (MPH) on problematic online gaming in adolescents with ADHD. Methods We recruited 86 adolescents diagnosed with ADHD together with Internet gaming disorder. These participants were divided into two treatment groups: 44 participants were treated with MPH for 12 weeks, and 42 participants were treated with ATM for 12 weeks. Results During the 3-month study period, the MPH group showed greater improvement in Korean ADHD rating scale scores than the ATM group. The ATM group showed greater improvement in Child Depression Inventory scores than the MPH group. However, Young Internet Addiction Scale and Behavioral Inhibition & Activation Scales score changes did not differ significantly between the MPH and ATM groups. In both groups, changes in Young Internet Addiction Scale scores were positively correlated with the changes in Behavioral Inhibition & Activation Scales scores. Conclusions Both MPH and ATM reduced the severity of Internet gaming disorder symptoms, and this reduction was correlated with impulsivity reduction, which also resulted from both ADHD medications. These findings suggest impulsivity plays a critical role in the development of problematic online gaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Theta-phase gamma-amplitude coupling (TGC) measurement has recently received attention as a feasible method of assessing brain functions such as neuronal interactions. The purpose of this electroencephalographic (EEG) study is to understand the mechanisms underlying the deficits in attentional control in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by comparing the power spectra and TGC at rest and during a mental arithmetic task. Methods: Nineteen-channel EEGs were recorded from 97 volunteers (including 53 subjects with ADHD) from a camp for hyperactive children under two conditions (rest and task performance). The EEG power spectra and the TGC data were analyzed. Correlation analyses between the Intermediate Visual and Auditory (IVA) continuous performance test (CPT) scores and EEG parameters were performed. Results: No significant difference in the power spectra was detected between the groups at rest and during task performance. However, TGC was reduced during the arithmetic task in the ADHD group compared with the normal group (F = 16.70, p < 0.001). The TGC values positively correlated with the IVA CPT scores but negatively correlated with theta power. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that desynchronization of TGC occurred during the arithmetic task in ADHD children. TGC in ADHD children is expected to serve as a promising neurophysiological marker of network deactivation during attention-demanding tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Social network analysis has emerged as a promising tool in modern social psychology. This method can be used to examine friend-based social relationships in terms of network theory, with nodes representing individual students and ties representing relationships between students (e.g., friendships and kinships). Using social network analysis, we investigated whether greater severity of ADHD symptoms is correlated with weaker peer relationships among elementary school students. Methods: A total of 562 sixth-graders from two elementary schools (300 males) provided the names of their best friends (maximum 10 names). Their teachers rated each student’s ADHD symptoms using an ADHD rating scale. Results: The results showed that 10.2% of the students were at high risk for ADHD. Significant group differences were observed between the high-risk students and other students in two of the three network parameters (degree, centrality and closeness) used to assess friendship quality, with the high-risk group showing significantly lower values of degree and closeness compared to the other students. Moreover, negative correlations were found between the ADHD rating and two social network analysis parameters. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the severity of ADHD symptoms is strongly correlated with the quality of social and interpersonal relationships in students with ADHD symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder hypothesized to involve impaired visuospatial working memory (VSWM). However, there are few studies utilizing neuropsychological tests to measure VSWM in ADHD adolescents. The Rey–Osterrieth complex figure test (ROCF) is commonly used as a neuropsychological test to assess visuospatial working memory for individuals with ADHD. We assessed working memory using the ROCF test on a digital Galaxy tablet with the technically new Gaussian filter method. Methods Thirty adolescents with ADHD and 30 healthy control adolescents were recruited for participation in the current study. All adolescents were assessed with K-WISC-IV, Children's depression inventory, and the Korean ADHD rating scale. All adolescents were asked to copy the ROCF from paper onto a Galaxy tablet screen using a wireless pen. Results There was a significant difference in representative value of the deviation of the original images from template images ( R -value) in copy and delayed recall between ADHD adolescents and healthy adolescents. There was no significant difference in R -value of immediate recall between ADHD adolescents and healthy adolescents. In all adolescents (ADHD and healthy) and ADHD adolescents, the R -value of copy was negatively correlated with visuospatial index and working memory index, and the R -value of delayed recall was negatively correlated with WMI. The R -value of copy and delayed recall was positively correlated with K-ARS in all adolescents and ADHD adolescents. Conclusions ADHD adolescents showed differences in the R -values of copy and delayed recall in the digital ROCF version compared to healthy adolescents. The digital ROCF assessment tool can represent different patterns of visuospatial working memory abilities in ADHD adolescents compared to healthy adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theta-phase gamma-amplitude coupling (TGC) between slow and fast oscillations is considered to represent cortico-subcortical interactions. The purpose of this electroencephalographic (EEG) study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of TGC by comparing the power spectra and TGC at rest between ADHD and control children. Nineteen-channel EEGs were recorded from 97 volunteers (including 53 subjects with ADHD attending a camp for hyperactive children). The EEG power spectra and TGC data were analyzed. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted on the quantitative EEG results between the groups to adjust for sex. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to examine the discriminating ability of each parameter for ADHD diagnosis. The ADHD group exhibited significantly decreased TGC in multiple areas, including frontal (Fp1, F3, F7, F6), temporal (T3), and occipital (O2) areas, compared with the control group. The ROC analysis performed on the TGC data generated the most accurate result among the EEG measures, with an overall classification accuracy of 71.7%. TGC, which reflects the degree of neuronal interactions between functional systems, provides information about an individual's attentional network. Therefore, resting-state TGC is a promising neurophysiological marker of ADHD in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Continuous Performance Test (CPT) is a valuable tool for assessing behavior in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) is a promising tool for the diagnosis of ADHD. Recently, theta-phase gamma-amplitude coupling (TGC) measurement has received attention because it is a feasible method of assessing brain function. We investigated the relationship between CPT performance and EEG measures such as TGC and theta and gamma activity. EEGs were recorded from 68 volunteers from a camp for hyperactive children using a 19-electrode system. Their TGC, theta and 40 Hz gamma activity were estimated and compared with results obtained on the Korean ADHD Rating Scale (KARS) and the Intermediate Visual and Auditory (IVA) CPT. The results demonstrated significant negative partial correlations between TGC and the IVA CPT, such as the Response Control Quotient (RCQ) and Attention Quotient (AQ). TGC successfully identified the level of dysfunctional interaction of the attention/arousal system at a multi-scale large network level. It is thought that as the TGC increases, the efficacy of the system is very low or dysfunctional. Compensatory hyper-arousal patterns of the dysfunctional attention/arousal system may account for this effect. TGC is a promising neurophysiological marker for ADHD behavior in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]