Adaptive control deficits in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): the role of error processing.

Full Abstract

Cognitive performance of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by large moment-to-moment fluctuations in cognitive control reflected by a highly inconsistent and inaccurate response style. It has been suggested that abnormal error processing underlies this failure to implement adequate control. We investigated the error-related negativity (ERN), a negative deflection in the event-related potential (ERP) time-locked to erroneous responses in 16 rigorously screened ADHD boys aged 8-12 years and 16 age-matched normal control boys during a modified Eriksen flanker paradigm with two levels of time pressure. Children with ADHD responded as fast and regularly as controls, but committed significantly more errors, particularly when facing time pressure and response conflict. ADHD children produced shorter runs of correct responses than controls. In addition, with high time pressure, error runs were prolonged relative to control children, suggesting an increase in both frequency and magnitude of temporary lapses of control. ERP amplitude differences between correct and incorrect responses were diminished in ADHD children, whereas post-error slowing remained unaffected. This pattern of results indicates that a specific deficit in monitoring ongoing behaviour, rather than insufficient strategic adjustments, gave rise to performance limitations in ADHD. Findings are discussed in terms of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) dysfunction, leading to a failure to predict the likelihood that an error occurs in a given context.

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Author information

Author/s: van Meel, Catharina S (CS); Heslenfeld, Dirk J (DJ); Oosterlaan, Jaap (J); Sergeant, Joseph A (JA);

Affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 1 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands. csmeel(-atsign-)fsw.leidenuniv.nl

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Psychiatry research (Psychiatry Res), published in Ireland. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jun; vol 151 (issue 3) : pp 211-20

Dates: Created 2007/06/04; Completed 2007/10/15; Revised 2008/04/17;

PMID: 17328962, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attention - physiology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; physiopathology; psychology
Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology
Child
Color Perception - physiology
Conflict (Psychology)
Contingent Negative Variation - physiology
Decision Making - physiology
Discrimination Learning - physiology
Evoked Potentials - physiology

Evoked Potentials - physiology
Flicker Fusion - physiology
Gyrus Cinguli - physiopathology
Humans
Male
Orientation - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Sensory Thresholds - physiology
Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

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