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Visual attention in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder before and after stimulant treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2018

Ann-Marie Low ,
Signe Vangkilde ,
Julijana le Sommer ,
Birgitte Fagerlund ,
Birte Glenthøj ,
Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen ,
Claus Bundesen ,
Anders Petersen  and
Thomas Habekost
Ann-Marie Low*
Affiliation:
Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Signe Vangkilde
Affiliation:
Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Julijana le Sommer
Affiliation:
Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Birgitte Fagerlund
Affiliation:
Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Birte Glenthøj
Affiliation:
Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Jens Richardt Møllegaard Jepsen
Affiliation:
Center for Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CNSR) and Center for Clinical Intervention and Neuropsychiatric Schizophrenia Research (CINS), University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Mental Health Services, Copenhagen, Denmark
Claus Bundesen
Affiliation:
Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Anders Petersen
Affiliation:
Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
Thomas Habekost
Affiliation:
Deparment of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
*
Author for correspondence: Ann-Marie Low, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which frequently persists into adulthood. The primary goal of the current study was to (a) investigate attentional functions of stimulant medication-naïve adults with ADHD, and (b) investigate the effects of 6 weeks of methylphenidate treatment on these functions.

Methods

The study was a prospective, non-randomized, non-blinded, 6-week follow-up design with 42 stimulant medication-naïve adult patients with ADHD, and 42 age and parental education-matched healthy controls. Assessments included measures of visual attention, based on Bundesen's Theory of Visual Attention (TVA), which yields five precise measures of aspects of visual attention; general psychopathology; ADHD symptoms; dyslexia screening; and estimates of IQ.

Results

At baseline, significant differences were found between patients and controls on three attentional parameters: visual short-term memory capacity, threshold of conscious perception, and to a lesser extent visual processing speed. Secondary analyses revealed no significant correlations between TVA parameter estimates and severity of ADHD symptomatology. At follow-up, significant improvements were found specifically for visual processing speed; this improvement had a large effect size, and remained when controlling for re-test effects, IQ, and dyslexia screen performance. There were no significant correlations between changes in visual processing speed and changes in ADHD symptomatology.

Conclusions

ADHD in adults may be associated with deficits in three distinct aspects of visual attention. Improvements after 6 weeks of medication are seen specifically in visual processing speed, which could represent an improvement in alertness. Clinical symptoms and visual attentional deficits may represent separate aspects of ADHD in adults.

Keywords

Adult ADHDmethylphenidate treatmentTVA-based assessmentvisual attention
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 49 , Issue 15 , November 2019 , pp. 2617 - 2625
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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