The Neuropsychological Functions, Psychological Traits, and Social Adaptive Functions in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

• Main Authors: Yuan-Sheng Yang, 楊淵勝
• Other Authors: Cheng-Fang Yen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/85277697253163058302

碩士 === 高雄醫學大學 === 醫學系神經學科碩士班 === 98 === The aims of this study were to examine the neuropsychological functions, psychological traits, and social adaptive functions in adult males with and without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to examine the associations of neuropsychological functions and social adaptive functions with psychological traits. A total of 50 adult males with ADHD and 34 ones without ADHD received Go/NoGo tests with different cognitive demands including distraction and dual tasks to measure their response inhibition. Each participant also completed the BIS/BAS Scale, Dickman’s Impulsivity Scale, Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory-Chinese Version- Short Form, Preference for Intuition and Deliberation Scale, Frustration Discomfort Scale, Barrett’s Impulsivity Scale, and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale. We used independent t test to compare the performance of Go/NoGo tests, behavioral motivation, impulsivity, hostility, frustration intolerance, decision-making tendency, and social adaptive function between groups. Then we compared the performance of Go/NoGo tests with different cognitive demands between groups using repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA). Pearson correlation analysis was employed to examine the associations between psychometric outcomes and the performance of Go/NoGo test as well as social adaptive function. The results of this study indicated that compared to the controls, adult males with ADHD had poorer performance under Go/NoGo tests; meanwhile, they had higher levels of behavioral inhibition, fun-seeking, dysfunctional impulsivity, hostility, frustration intolerance, preference for intuition in decision-making, and lower levels of functional impulsivity and social adaptive function. However, no significant difference between groups under Go/NoGo tests with different cognitive demands could be found by repeated measure ANOVA. Using Pearson correlation, the performance of Go/NoGo test was negatively correlated with frustration intolerance, and the social adaptive function was positively correlated with behavioral activation and functional impulsivity, and negatively correlated with behavioral inhibition, hostility, and frustration intolerance. The results of study indicated that adult males with ADHD had poor response inhibition compared with those without ADHD. Meanwhile, there were differences in psychological traits and social adaptive function between those with and without ADHD. Poor response inhibition was associated with frustration intolerance. Certain psychological traits but not response inhibition had more influence on social adaptive function. It could be considerable to develop adequate strategies for hostility and frustration intolerance to enhance the social adaptive function of patients with adult ADHD.