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Impairment in Flexible Regulation of Speed and Accuracy in Children with ADHD

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 September 2013

Antonino Vallesi ,
Elisa D'Agati ,
Augusto Pasini ,
Mariabernarda Pitzianti  and
Paolo Curatolo
Antonino Vallesi
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroscience: NPSRR Sciences, Universitá degli Studi di Padova, Italy
Elisa D'Agati*
Affiliation:
Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
Augusto Pasini
Affiliation:
Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
Mariabernarda Pitzianti
Affiliation:
Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
Paolo Curatolo
Affiliation:
Child Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Elisa D'Agati, Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry of “Tor Vergata” University of Rome, Viale Oxford 81, Roma, Italy. E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by poor adaptation of behavior to environmental demands, including difficulties in flexibly regulating behavior. To understand whether ADHD is associated with a reduction of strategic flexibility in modulating speed and accuracy, we used a perceptual decision-making task that required participants to randomly stress either fast or accurate responding. Thirty-one drug-free boys with ADHD combined-type (mean age: 10.2 years) and 33 healthy control boys (mean age: 10.7 years), matched for age and IQ, participated. Both reaction time and accuracy data were analyzed. Our findings demonstrated significantly lower accuracy in ADHD children than in controls when switching from speed to accuracy instructions. This deficit was directly associated with hyperactivity symptoms but not with inattention. Our results showed that ADHD is associated with a deficit in dynamically switching response strategy according to task demands on a trial-to-trial basis. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–5)

Keywords

Attention deficitSpeed-accuracy instructionsSwitching effectsFlexibilitySequential effectsPerceptual decision-making.
Type
Brief Communication
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 19 , Issue 9 , October 2013 , pp. 1016 - 1020
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2013 

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