Varying required effort during interference control in children with AD/HD: task performance and ERPs
Abstract
Prominent models of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) contend that disinhibition is the core deficit, or that any inhibition deficits that exist are secondary to dysfunctional energetic regulation (i.e. effort and arousal). This study tested these models by investigating the influence of task-directed effort, as manipulated by stimulus degradation, on interference control deficits in children with AD/HD. Twenty children with AD/HD aged between 7 and 14years were matched in age to 20 controls and performed a modified visual Eriksen flanker task, while EEG and skin conductance level (SCL) were recorded. Participants completed the task under three conditions varying in stimulus degradation: none, 30% or 60%. Results revealed a quadratic effect with improved task performance in the 30% degradation condition, relative to the other conditions. Overall, children with AD/HD showed a tendency towards increased errors and more variable responding, although this did not differ between conditions. Importantly, children with AD/HD showed no deficits in interference control at a behavioural level. SCL revealed reduced activity in the AD/HD group during the non-degraded condition which normalised to control levels in the highest degradation condition. ERPs revealed two functionally distinct N2 components, one of which, along with the P3, was larger to incongruent stimuli, consistent with previous studies linking this component to inhibitory processing. Atypical activation of these components was evident in children with AD/HD and occurred as a function of degradation condition. Taken together these findings suggest the role of other factors such as state regulation as underlying deficits in AD/HD.
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Johnstone et al. (2010) reported evidence of reduced EDA in ADHD using a hybrid flanker go/no-go task designed to challenge response conflict processing and inhibitory control.
“One other study reported evidence of reduced EDA in ADHD (Johnstone et al., 2010) using a hybrid flanker go/no-go task designed to challenge response conflict processing and inhibitory control.”
From Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as Johnstone et al., 2010
Children and adolescents with ADHD showed significantly reduced mean SCL compared with matched typical controls in the non-degraded condition of the task but equivalent SCL in the 60% degraded condition.
“Children and adolescents with ADHD showed significantly reduced mean SCL compared with matched typical controls in the non-degraded condition of the task but equivalent SCL in the 60 % degraded condition, suggesting hypo-activation of the ANS in the easier condition but typical arousal levels in the most difficult condition.”
From Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as Johnstone et al., 2010
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References 72 · Cited by 31
- Authors
- Johnstone, S. J., Watt, A. J., & Dimoska, A.
- Affiliations
- University of Wollongong (AU)
- Corresponding author
- Johnstone, Stuart J.
- ORCID
- Johnstone, Stuart J.
- Venue
- International Journal of Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2010-06
- Volume
- 76
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 174-185
- ISSN
- 0167-8760 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2015987235
- Cited by
- 31
- References
- 72
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 2.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Online (University of Wollongong) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Research Council
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, interference control, task effort, stimulus degradation, flanker task, event-related potentials, N2 component, P300, skin conductance level, arousal regulation, inhibitory processes, children
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Analysis of Variance, Attention, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Cerebral Cortex, Child, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Physical Exertion, Female, Field Dependence-Independence, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Models, Neurological, Models, Psychological, Psychometrics, Reference Values, Task Performance and Analysis, Case-Control Studies, Workload, Matched-Pair Analysis
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