Posterior alpha oscillations reflect attentional problems in boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Madelon A Vollebregt, Johanna M Zumer, Niels Ter Huurne, Jan K Buitelaar, Ole Jensen

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13 Citations (Scopus)
329 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to characterize alpha modulations in children with ADHD in relation to their attentional performance.

Methods

The posterior alpha activity (8-12 Hz) was measured in 30 typically developing children and 30 children with ADHD aged 7-10 years, using EEG while they performed a visuospatial covert attention task. We focused the analyses on typically developing boys (N=9) and boys with ADHD (N=17).

Results

Alpha activity in typically developing boys was similar to previous results of healthy adults: it decreased in the hemisphere contralateral to the attended hemifield, whereas it relatively increased in the other hemisphere. However, in boys with ADHD this hemispheric lateralization in the alpha band was not obvious (group contrast, p = .018). A robust relation with behavioral performance was lacking in both groups.

Conclusions

The ability to modulate alpha oscillations in visual regions with the allocation of spatial attention was clearly present in typically developing boys, but not in boys with ADHD.

Significance

These results open up the possibility to further study the underlying mechanisms of ADHD by examining how differences in the fronto-striatal network might explain different abilities in modulating the alpha band activity.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2182-91
Number of pages10
JournalClinical Neurophysiology
Volume127
Issue number5
Early online date8 Feb 2016
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2016

Keywords

  • Alpha inhibition
  • Covert attention
  • Children
  • Electroencephalography
  • ADHD
  • Attentional bias

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