Increased Performance Uncertainty in Children with ADHD
Author Information
Author(s): Werner Janina, Weisbrod Matthias, Resch Franz, Roessner Veit, Bender Stephan
Primary Institution: University of Heidelberg
Hypothesis
ADHD children's contingency evaluation and their cognitive performance monitoring is disturbed, resulting in an increased PINV amplitude of ADHD children compared to age-matched healthy controls.
Conclusion
Children with ADHD are likely to be more uncertain about the correctness of their performance, and this uncertainty is reflected in increased PINV amplitudes.
Supporting Evidence
- ADHD children showed significantly increased PINV amplitudes compared to healthy controls.
- PINV amplitudes normalized after the intake of methylphenidate in ADHD children.
- Left hand responses were associated with higher PINV amplitudes, indicating task difficulty.
Takeaway
Kids with ADHD are more unsure if they're doing things right, which shows up in their brain activity when they have to respond to things quickly.
Methodology
The study used a CNV paradigm with EEG to measure PINV in ADHD children and matched controls during a motor response task.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of children with other psychiatric or neurological disorders.
Limitations
The study did not account for potential learning effects between test runs and had a small sample size.
Participant Demographics
18 ADHD patients aged 8-14 years, 19 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and IQ.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.0099
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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