Impairments to Emotional and Behavioral Regulation in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Published in: Neuroscience and behavioral physiology 2023, Vol.53 (1), p.40-46
• Main Authors: Chutko, L. S., Yakovenko, E. A., Surushkina, S. Yu, Anisimova, T. I., Sergeev, A. V., Didur, M. D., Cherednichenko, D. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavior; Behavioral Sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Children; Cognitive ability; EEG; Emotional behavior; Hyperactivity; Impulsive behavior; Lability; Mental disorders; Neurobiology; Neurosciences; Self-assessment; Synchronization
• ISSN: 0097-0549; 1573-899X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11055-023-01389-6

Objectives. To investigate disorders of emotional regulation in various types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Materials and methods. A total of 58 children with ADHD aged 12 to 15 years were investigated. Children were divided into two subgroups (38 children with the combined form of ADHD (ADHD-C) and 20 children with ADHD with a predominance of inattention (ADHD-N)). The control group consisted of 30 children without signs of neuropsychiatric disorders. The SNAP-IV scale was used to assess the severity of the disorder; the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) )Form for Parents), was used to assess emotional and behavioral disturbances; the Spielberger self-assessment test in Hanin’s modification was used to assess the anxiety levels; the EEG was recorded, with spectral analysis of the EEG using power spectral plots, and evoked potentials (EP) were recorded with an attention test in the Go/No-Go paradigm. Results. The emotional and behavioral disorders identified in children with ADHD were more marked in the combined form of the disorder. Complaints of emotional lability, tearfulness, and irritability were noted in 53 (61.6%) children with ADHD in the study group. At the same time, these complaints were recorded in 39 (72.2%) children with ADHD-C and 14 (43.8%) children with ADHD-N. The level of inattention was approximately the same (3.21 ± 0.64 and 3.43 ± 0.56 points respectively), while the hyperactivity and impulsivity level in adolescents with ADHD-C was significantly higher (3.18 ± 0.54 points, p < 0.01). SDQ scale indicators, both the total score (3.4 ± 1.6 points, p < 0.01) and scores on the “problems with behavior” (7.4 ± 1.6 points, p < 0.01), “emotional problems” (8.0 ± 1.6 points, p < 0.01), “peer problems” (7.6 ± 1.3 points, p < 0.01), and “prosocial behavior” (3.4 ± 1.6 points, p < 0.01) scales were significantly higher in the subgroup of children with ADHD-C. Differences were found in the numbers of missed significant stimulus pairs between healthy children and the subgroup with ADHD with a predominance of inattention and between healthy children and the subgroup with ADHD with the combined form ( p < 0.01). Comparison of evoked EEG synchronization in the θ range under Go conditions revealed a significant decrease in θ synchronization in the time period 200–400 msec in the subgroup of children with ADHD with a predominance of inattention and in the subgroup with the combined form of ADHD; under No-Go