Research article summary (published 30 Mar 2006):

Reaction time distribution analysis of neuropsychological performance in an ADHD sample.

Full Abstract

Differences in reaction time (RT) variability have been documented between children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Most previous research has utilized estimates of normal distributions to examine variability. Using a nontraditional approach, the present study evaluated RT distributions on the Conners' Continuous Performance Test in children and adolescents from the Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD sample compared to a matched sample of normal controls (n = 65 pairs). The ex-Gaussian curve was used to model RT and RT variability. Children with ADHD demonstrated faster RT associated with the normal portion of the curve and a greater proportion of abnormally slow responses associated with the exponential portion of the curve. These results contradict previous interpretation that children with ADHD have slower than normal responding and demonstrate why slower RT is found when estimates of variability assume normal Gaussian distributions. Further, results of this study suggest that the greater number of abnormally long RTs of children with ADHD reflect attentional lapses on some but not all trials.

Author information

Author/s: Hervey, Aaron S (AS); Epstein, Jeffery N (JN); Curry, John F (JF); Tonev, Simon (S); Eugene Arnold, L (L); Keith Conners, C (C); Hinshaw, Stephen P (SP); Swanson, James M (JM); Hechtman, Lily (L);

Affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, USA.

Grants: K24 MH64478 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50440 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50447 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50453 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50454 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50461 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; U01 MH50467 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence (Child Neuropsychol), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Apr; vol 12 (issue 2) : pp 125-40

Dates: Created 2006/06/06; Completed 2006/07/12; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 16754533, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology Child Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; epidemiology Female Humans

Humans Male Neuropsychological Tests Reaction Time Severity of Illness Index

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