[Behavioural inhibition and emotion regulation among boys with ADHD during a go-/nogo-task]

(Verhaltenshemmung und Emotionsregulation in einer Go-/Nogo-Aufgabe bei Jungen mit ADHS.)

Full Abstract

Current literature suggests an executive and/or motivational deficit to explain the deficit in behavioural inhibition of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, results of neuropsychological and psycho-physiological studies are inconsistent (Nigg 2001). Although in his earlier work in 1997 Barkley postulated an association between behavioural inhibition and emotion regulation, this subject has been widely neglected so far. First studies suggest an impaired emotion regulation of children with ADHD (e. g. Braaten a. Rosén 2000). The present study was aimed to scrutinize the results of experimental studies on an executive and/or motivational deficit in response inhibition and impairments in emotion regulation with a newly developed go-/nogo-task. A three factorial design (group x age x condition) with repeated measurements on the last factor was used to examine differences between 19 boys with ADHD and 19 male normal controls of two age groups (8-10 years old and 11-12 years old). A go-/nogo-task modified from the Testbattery for Attentional Performance (Zimmermann a. Fimm 1994) with five conditions was administered:
neutral, feedback, reward only, response cost only, reward, and response cost. Apart from performance (commissions, omissions, reaction time, and its variability) emotional well-being and coping were recorded. Boys with ADHD showed a deficit in behavioural inhibition as well as reduced attention independent of condition. Young children with ADHD showed a higher reaction time variability than older ADHD-children. Additionally, all boys with ADHD reported increased challenge and more rumination but also enhanced situation control. Finally, response inhibition of all children was improved by feedback. First hints were given that especially the emotion regulation of the younger ADHD children seemed to be impaired. Thus, the study contributes to the fundamental discussion on an executive or motivational deficit in behavioural inhibition. But the results also draw attention to the importance of emotion regulation for the development of effective treatments of ADHD.

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Author information

Author/s: Desman, Christiane (C); Schneider, Andrea (A); Ziegler-Kirbach, Eckhard (E); Petermann, Franz (F); Mohr, Beate (B); Hampel, Petra (P);

Affiliation: Zentrum für Klinische Psychologie und Rehabilitation, Universität Bremen.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: English Abstract; Journal Article

Journal: Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie (Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr), published in Germany. (Language: ger)

Reference: 2006-; vol 55 (issue 5) : pp 328-49

Dates: Created 2006/07/27; Completed 2006/10/19; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16869480, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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.

Adolescent
Attention
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; psychology
Child
Child Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; psychology
Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; psychology
Emotions
Humans

Humans
Inhibition (Psychology)
Internal-External Control
Male
Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data
Psychometrics
Psychomotor Performance
Reference Values

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