Response inhibition and attention processing in 5- to 7-year-old children with and without symptoms of ADHD: An ERP study

• Published in: Clinical neurophysiology 2008-12, Vol.119 (12), p.2738-2752
• Main Authors: Spronk, M, Jonkman, L.M, Kemner, C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attention; Attention - physiology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - physiopathology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Child; Child, Preschool; Contingent Negative Variation - physiology; Cues; Decision Making - physiology; Electrodiagnosis. Electric activity recording; Electroencephalography - methods; Electrophysiology; Event-related brain potentials; Evoked Potentials, Visual - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Impulsive Behavior - physiopathology; Inhibition (Psychology); Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Male; Medical sciences; Nervous system; Neurology; Neuropsychological Tests; Nogo-N2; Nogo-P3; Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology; Photic Stimulation; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Reaction Time - physiology; Response inhibition; Statistics as Topic
• ISSN: 1388-2457; 1872-8952
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2008.09.010

Abstract Objective Response inhibition and attention processing in 5- to 7-year-old children with or without symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were examined. Methods Twelve children with ADHD symptoms and 15 control children performed a CPT-AX task. Behavioral measures of inattention and impulsivity and ERP measures of conflict monitoring and inhibition (Nogo-N2 and Nogo-P3), cue-orientation and prestimulus target expectation (Cue-P2 and P3) and response preparation (CNV) were collected. Results ADHD children detected fewer targets and had higher Inattention scores accompanied by reduced centro-parietal Cue- and Go-P3 activity. Occipital CNV amplitude was larger in ADHD children. At fronto-central leads, strong and comparable fronto-parietal Nogo-N2 effects were found in both groups, whereas the Nogo-P3 was only marginally significant in both groups. Conclusions The attenuated Cue- and Go-P3 effects in the ADHD-symptom group are interpreted as early signs of delayed attention development, resulting in less preparation and less alertness to detect significant events. Whereas the Nogo-N2 effects were interpreted as signs of comparable levels of conflict processing in both groups, the small Nogo-P3 suggests that inhibitory processing is still immature at this age. Significance The present study shows that specific attention problems can already be detected in the behavior and brain activity of 5- to 7-year-old children with symptoms of ADHD performing a CPT-AX task, and might be better indicators for the risk of developing ADHD than impulsivity measures.