Attention Network Test in adults with ADHD - the impact of affective fluctuations
2011

Attention Network Test in Adults with ADHD

Sample size: 114 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Astri J Lundervold, Steinunn Adolfsdottir, Helene Halleland, Anne Halmøy, Kerstin Plessen, Jan Haavik

Primary Institution: University of Bergen

Hypothesis

Adults with ADHD will perform differently from controls on measures of attention and executive function, particularly in relation to affective fluctuations.

Conclusion

Adults with ADHD showed lower accuracy and higher variability in attention tasks compared to controls, with distinct patterns observed in those with affective fluctuations.

Supporting Evidence

  • Adults with ADHD were significantly older than controls.
  • The ADHD group had a lower score on a test of intellectual function compared to controls.
  • Individuals with affective fluctuations in the ADHD group were slower and less accurate on attention tasks.
  • The ADHD group showed higher variability in task performance compared to controls.

Takeaway

This study looked at how adults with ADHD pay attention and found that they often make more mistakes and are less consistent than people without ADHD.

Methodology

Participants completed the Attention Network Test and self-report questionnaires to assess ADHD symptoms and affective fluctuations.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the reliance on self-reported questionnaires and the lack of screening for ADHD in the control group.

Limitations

The study relied on self-reported measures for affective fluctuations and did not include biomarkers for attention networks.

Participant Demographics

The ADHD group included 32 females and 26 males, while the control group had 34 females and 22 males.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = .001

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1744-9081-7-27

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