Investigation of cool and hot executive function in ODD/CD independently of ADHD

• Published in: Journal of child psychology and psychiatry 2011-10, Vol.52 (10), p.1035-1043
• Main Authors: Hobson, Christopher W., Scott, Stephen, Rubia, Katya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ADHD; Adolescent; Analytical group psychotherapy; Antisocial Behavior; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders - psychology; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Behavior Development; Behavior Disorders; Child; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive Ability; Cognitive Processes; Cognitive psychology; conduct disorder; Conduct Disorder - diagnosis; Conduct Disorder - psychology; Conduct disordered children; Control Groups; Decision Making; Diagnosis, Differential; Executive Function; Executive Function - physiology; executive functioning; Female; Humans; Inhibition; Male; Measures (Individuals); Neuropsychology; ODD; Response inhibition; Rewards; Risk; Social Behavior Disorders - diagnosis; Social Behavior Disorders - psychology; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Task Analysis; Teenagers
• ISSN: 0021-9630; 1469-7610
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02454.x

Background:  Children with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) have shown deficits in ‘cool’ ‐cognitive, and ‘hot’ reward‐related executive function (EF) tasks. However, it is currently unclear to what extent ODD/CD is associated with neuropsychological deficits, independently of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods:  Fifty‐nine adolescents with a history of early‐onset oppositional problems, 28 with pure ODD/CD symptoms and 31 with ADHD with or without ODD/CD, and 34 healthy controls were administered a task battery measuring motor response inhibition, sustained attention, cognitive flexibility and reward‐related decision‐making. Findings were analysed using dimensional and group analyses. Results:  In group analyses both groups with and without ADHD were impaired in EF measures. Dimensional analyses, however, showed that ODD/CD but not ADHD was related to hot EF based on increased risky decision‐making in the Iowa Gambling Task. ODD/CD was also independently related to aspects of cool EF independently of ADHD, namely slower speeds of inhibitory responding and increased intra‐subject variability. Conclusions:  These findings show EF deficits associated with ODD/CD independently of ADHD, and implicate reward‐related abnormalities in theories of antisocial behaviour development.