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Cognitive mechanisms of methylphenidate in ADHD: Do improvements in sustained attention mediate behavioral improvements in the natural environment?
- Source :
- Child Neuropsychology. 27:425-446
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- Informa UK Limited, 2021.
-
Abstract
- The relation between sustained attention in the laboratory and behaviors exhibited in naturalistic settings among children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) remains unclear. Additionally, research on stimulant medication effects in these areas and their association with one another remains scarce. Twenty-one children with ADHD and 21 children without ADHD completed a novel continuous performance test (CPT) involving high cognitive demands (e.g., visual search). Participants with ADHD also attended a Summer Treatment Program and received three doses of stimulant medication (placebo, low, and high). Their behavior in classroom and peer settings was observed and recorded, and they completed the CPT in each medication condition. The CPT measures of bias and sensitivity were used in analyses. Results indicated that children with ADHD had impaired overall performance and worse bias during the second half of the task compared to controls. Methylphenidate improved both naturalistic behavior and overall CPT performance but did not specifically improve the sustained attention deficit. Despite improvements in overall CPT performance, medication-related improvement in CPT performance did not mediate medication-related improvement in observed behavior in classroom or recreational settings. As such, our findings suggest that although children with ADHD do demonstrate a sustained attention deficit, salutary psychostimulant effects on CPT performance are not indicative of, or causally linked to, psychostimulant effects on presenting problems in naturalistic settings.
- Subjects :
- Male
Mediation (statistics)
Developmental psychology
03 medical and health sciences
Cognition
0302 clinical medicine
mental disorders
Developmental and Educational Psychology
medicine
Humans
Natural (music)
0501 psychology and cognitive sciences
Child
Methylphenidate
05 social sciences
Treatment Outcome
Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health
Attention deficit
Central Nervous System Stimulants
Psychology
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
050104 developmental & child psychology
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17444136 and 09297049
- Volume :
- 27
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Child Neuropsychology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....18f6613f5c4d9ac1848288e65e042d73