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The effects of ADHD on cognitive performance

Claesdotter, Emma LU ; Cervin, Matti LU ; Åkerlund, Sofia LU ; Råstam, Maria LU orcid and Lindvall, Magnus LU (2018) In Nordic Journal of Psychiatry 72(3). p.158-163
Abstract

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and impairing neurodevelopmental disorder. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a computerized test battery with standardized procedures and solid psychometric properties targeting multiple neuropsychological functions. Aims: The aim of this study was to look at the effects of ADHD on cognitive performance using CANTAB expressed as a statistical interaction term in regression modeling. Methods: We assessed 112 drug-naïve subjects (age: 7–18 years) with ADHD based on DSM IV criteria and compared them to 95 control subjects (age: 7–18 years). All participants were administered five CANTAB tasks designed to capture different aspects of... (More)

Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and impairing neurodevelopmental disorder. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a computerized test battery with standardized procedures and solid psychometric properties targeting multiple neuropsychological functions. Aims: The aim of this study was to look at the effects of ADHD on cognitive performance using CANTAB expressed as a statistical interaction term in regression modeling. Methods: We assessed 112 drug-naïve subjects (age: 7–18 years) with ADHD based on DSM IV criteria and compared them to 95 control subjects (age: 7–18 years). All participants were administered five CANTAB tasks designed to capture different aspects of executive functioning: Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), Intra/Extra dimensional shift (IED), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Stop Signal Task (SST). Results: T-tests showed a difference between ADHD and control subjects in all cognitive measures except SOC. The majority of measures showed a non-linear effect of age. SWM strategy and SST direction errors showed a linear effect of age. ADHD diagnosis had a statistically significant effect on performance. For all tests except SOC, ADHD produced the main effect without interaction with age. Discussion: For all CANTAB measures, ADHD diagnosis had a significant effect on performance and produced this effect without interaction with age in all tests except SOC, indicating that the developmental trajectories were parallel in both groups. The results indicate that cognitive performance is impaired in youth with ADHD and that CANTAB can be a valuable tool in the diagnostic assessment of ADHD.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ADHD, CANTAB, child and adolescent psychiatry, developmental trajectories
in
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
volume
72
issue
3
pages
158 - 163
publisher
Informa Healthcare
external identifiers
  • scopus:85034669618
  • pmid:29161919
ISSN
0803-9488
DOI
10.1080/08039488.2017.1402951
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
6f1ab8cc-b2df-436c-8f05-183b12bf0f66
date added to LUP
2017-12-14 12:57:28
date last changed
2024-04-29 02:11:25
@article{6f1ab8cc-b2df-436c-8f05-183b12bf0f66,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and impairing neurodevelopmental disorder. The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) is a computerized test battery with standardized procedures and solid psychometric properties targeting multiple neuropsychological functions. Aims: The aim of this study was to look at the effects of ADHD on cognitive performance using CANTAB expressed as a statistical interaction term in regression modeling. Methods: We assessed 112 drug-naïve subjects (age: 7–18 years) with ADHD based on DSM IV criteria and compared them to 95 control subjects (age: 7–18 years). All participants were administered five CANTAB tasks designed to capture different aspects of executive functioning: Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), Intra/Extra dimensional shift (IED), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Simple Reaction Time (SRT) and Stop Signal Task (SST). Results: T-tests showed a difference between ADHD and control subjects in all cognitive measures except SOC. The majority of measures showed a non-linear effect of age. SWM strategy and SST direction errors showed a linear effect of age. ADHD diagnosis had a statistically significant effect on performance. For all tests except SOC, ADHD produced the main effect without interaction with age. Discussion: For all CANTAB measures, ADHD diagnosis had a significant effect on performance and produced this effect without interaction with age in all tests except SOC, indicating that the developmental trajectories were parallel in both groups. The results indicate that cognitive performance is impaired in youth with ADHD and that CANTAB can be a valuable tool in the diagnostic assessment of ADHD.</p>}},
  author       = {{Claesdotter, Emma and Cervin, Matti and Åkerlund, Sofia and Råstam, Maria and Lindvall, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{0803-9488}},
  keywords     = {{ADHD; CANTAB; child and adolescent psychiatry; developmental trajectories}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{158--163}},
  publisher    = {{Informa Healthcare}},
  series       = {{Nordic Journal of Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{The effects of ADHD on cognitive performance}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08039488.2017.1402951}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/08039488.2017.1402951}},
  volume       = {{72}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}