Hyperactivity in boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): The association between deficient behavioral inhibition, attentional processes, and objectively measured activity

    Authors

    R. M. Alderson; M. D. Rapport; L. J. Kasper; D. E. Sarver;M. J. Kofler

    Comments

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    Abbreviated Journal Title

    Child Neuropsychol.

    Keywords

    ADHD; Behavioral inhibition; Stop-signal; Hyperactivity; Attention; DUAL PATHWAY MODEL; DSM-IV ADHD; RESPONSE-INHIBITION; EXECUTIVE; FUNCTIONS; DELAY AVERSION; MOTOR-ACTIVITY; CHILDREN; WORKING; MEMORY; PERFORMANCE; Clinical Neurology

    Abstract

    Contemporary models of ADHD hypothesize that hyperactivity reflects a byproduct of inhibition deficits. The current study investigated the relationship between children's motor activity and behavioral inhibition by experimentally manipulating demands placed on the limited-resource inhibition system. Twenty-two boys (ADHD = 11, TD = 11) between the ages of 8 and 12 years completed a conventional stop-signal task, two choice-task variants (no-tone, ignore-tone), and control tasks while their motor activity was measured objectively by actigraphs placed on their nondominant wrist and ankles. All children exhibited significantly higher activity rates under all three experimental tasks relative to control conditions, and children with ADHD moved significantly more than typically developing children across conditions. No differences in activity level were observed between the inhibition and noninhibition experimental tasks for either group, indicating that activity level was primarily associated with basic attentional rather than behavioral inhibition processes.

    Journal Title

    Child Neuropsychology

    Volume

    18

    Issue/Number

    5

    Publication Date

    1-1-2012

    Document Type

    Article

    Language

    English

    First Page

    487

    Last Page

    505

    WOS Identifier

    WOS:000307231800005

    ISSN

    0929-7049

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