Reduced electrodermal response to errors predicts poor sustained attention performance in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Open accessAbstract
Research into attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has indicated abnormalities in electrodermal system activity (EDA) and separately, deficits in sustained attention. Here we asked whether reduced EDA in ADHD was consequential for the attention problems associated with this disorder. On a sustained attention task ADHD participants had higher overall error rates and exhibited a marked decrease in skin conductance responses (SCRs) to errors, relative to control children. Further, sustained attention errors were predicted by SCR amplitudes. Evidence of post-error slowing in both groups suggested comparable error awareness. It is proposed that attenuation of the normal autonomic response to errors reflects impairment in ADHD participants' psychological response to error significance and results in decreased behavioural correction and hence poorer sustained attention.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
O'Connell et al. (2004) found atypical phasic modulation of skin conductance in ADHD children and adolescents during the Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART).
“O'Connell et al. (2004) found atypical phasic modulation of skin conductance in ADHD children and adolescents during a different form of CPT, the Sustained Attention to Response Test (SART).”
From Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as O'Connell et al., 2004
In control children, SCRs following commission errors were increased relative to correctly withheld trials, but this difference was not significant in ADHD.
“Specifically, while in control children SCRs following commission errors were increased relative to correctly withheld trials, this difference was not significant in ADHD, suggesting a lack of ANS responsivity to errors in ADHD.”
From Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence (2020) · cites this paper as O'Connell et al., 2004
Cites
The dual pathway model of AD/HD: an elaboration of neuro-developmental characteristics
Sonuga-Barke, E. J. S. (2003) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2003.08.005 · Cited by 816 · see citing works
CASEY, B. J., CASTELLANOS, F. X., GIEDD, J. N., MARSH, W. L., HAMBURGER, S. D., SCHUBERT, A. B., VAUSS, Y. C., VAITUZIS, A. C., DICKSTEIN, D. P., SARFATTI, S. E., et al. (1997) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00004583-199703000-00016 · Cited by 800 · see citing works
Manly, T., Owen, A. M., McAvinue, L., Datta, A., Lewis, G. H., Scott, S. K., Rorden, C., Pickard, J., & Robertson, I. H. (2003) · Neurocase · doi:10.1076/neur.9.4.340.15553 · Cited by 157 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Reaction time variability in ADHD: A meta-analytic review of 319 studies
Kofler, M. J., Rapport, M. D., Sarver, D. E., Raiker, J. S., Orban, S. A., Friedman, L. M., & Kolomeyer, E. G. (2013) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2013.06.001 · Cited by 648 · see citing works
Tian, L., Jiang, T., Wang, Y., Zang, Y., He, Y., Liang, M., Sui, M., Cao, Q., Hu, S., Peng, M., et al. (2006) · Neuroscience Letters · doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2006.02.022 · Cited by 392 · see citing works
Johnson, K. A., Kelly, S. P., Bellgrove, M. A., Barry, E., Cox, M., Gill, M., & Robertson, I. H. (2007) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.03.034 · Cited by 262 · see citing works
Self-citationBellgrove, M. A., Hawi, Z., Kirley, A., Gill, M., & Robertson, I. H. (2005) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2005.03.011 · Cited by 218 · see citing works
Self-citationBellato, A., Arora, I., Hollis, C., & Groom, M. J. (2020) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.001 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Self-Alert Training: Volitional modulation of autonomic arousal improves sustained attention
O’Connell, R. G., Bellgrove, M. A., Dockree, P. M., Lau, A., Fitzgerald, M., & Robertson, I. H. (2008) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.12.018 · Cited by 124 · see citing works
Self-citationKleckner, I. R., Jones, R. M., Wilder-Smith, O., Wormwood, J. B., Akcakaya, M., Quigley, K. S., Lord, C., & Goodwin, M. S. (2018) · IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering · doi:10.1109/tbme.2017.2758643 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Bellgrove, M. A., Hawi, Z., Gill, M., & Robertson, I. H. (2006) · Cortex · doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70426-x · Cited by 97 · see citing works
Self-citationCastellanos, F. X., Kelly, C., & Milham, M. P. (2009) · The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/070674370905401003 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
O'connell, R. G., Bellgrove, M. A., Dockree, P. M., & Robertson, I. H. (2006) · Neuropsychological Rehabilitation · doi:10.1080/09602010500200250 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Self-citationTonic and phasic co-variation of peripheral arousal indices in infants
Wass, S. V., de Barbaro, K., & Clackson, K. (2015) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.08.006 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Modulation of Response Timing in ADHD, Effects of Reinforcement Valence and Magnitude
Luman, M., Oosterlaan, J., & Sergeant, J. A. (2008) · Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology · doi:10.1007/s10802-007-9190-8 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
- Authors
- O’Connell, R. G., Bellgrove, M. A., Dockree, P. M., & Robertson, I. H.
- Affiliations
- Trinity College (CA)
- Venue
- NeuroReport
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 16
- Pages
- 2535-2538
- ISSN
- 0959-4965 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2045995077
- Cited by
- 73
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 3.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-sa
- Locations
- Neuroreport (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Arrow@dit (Dublin Institute of Technology) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
- Trinity's Access to Research Output (TARA) (Trinity College Dublin) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Mind wandering and attention
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, electrodermal activity, skin conductance response, sustained attention, error processing, post-error slowing, error awareness, children
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Attention, Child, Female, Galvanic Skin Response, Humans, Inhibition, Psychological, Male, Neuropsychological Tests, Predictive Value of Tests, Psychomotor Performance, Reaction Time, Chi-Square Distribution, Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
