Reaction time performance in adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Evidence of inconsistency in the fast and slow portions of the RT distribution

Authors: Williams, Benjamin R.¹; Strauss, Esther H.¹; Hultsch, David F.¹; Hunter, Michael A.¹; Tannock, Rosemary²

Source: Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology (Neuropsychology, Developm, Volume 29, Number 3, April 2007 , pp. 277-289(13)

Publisher: Psychology Press, part of the Taylor & Francis Group

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Abstract:

Inconsistency across trials of 2-choice reaction time (RT) data was analyzed in 72 adolescents (age 12-17 years) within 4 groups differentiated by the presence or absence of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and reading difficulties (RD). ADHD participants were more inconsistent (across all trials, and in the slow portion of the RT distribution) than controls, but only when RD was present. Within the fast portion of the RT distribution, ADHD participants were more inconsistent than controls regardless of RD. The results highlight the importance of fluctuations in cognitive performance in ADHD and suggest that there may be independent sources of variation in inconsistency affecting the fast and slow portions of the RT distribution.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13803390600678020

Affiliations: 1: University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2: Brain and Behaviour Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Publication date: 2007-04-01