| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立政治大學 === 心理學研究所 === 101 === Purposes This study examined the executive function pattern in children with ADHD-combined type, and then applied the performance to explore their discriminative ability. In addition, current study also investigated the predictability of age and intelligence on executive function function task performances, the relationship between the executive function task performances and ADHD symptoms, and the relationship between the executive function task performances and behavioral problems.
Methods Thirty children with ADHD-combined type and thirty healthy control children participated in current study. Each participant was tested on the ability of eight different executive functions, including inhibition of an ongoing response, interference control, verbal working memory, non-verbal working memory, cognitive flexibility, planning , verbal fluency, and non-verbal fluency. Their performances were then used to distinguish between the ADHD-C group and the control group. Furthermore, investigate the predictability of age and intelligence on their executive function performance. In addition, examine the correlation between executive function performances and ADHD symptoms, and the correlation between the executive function performances and their behavioral problems reported by their parents and teacher.
Results The performances in interference control, non-verbal working memory, and cognitive flexibility of ADHD-C group were significantly worse than the control group. The discriminative ability of the above three executive function tasks is good, and the overall correct discriminative rate for the ADHD-C group and control group is nearly 80%. Age and intelligence only showed significant predictability for the performance of working memory and fluency. There was no correlation found between participants’ executive function performance and their inattention and hyperactivity/ impulsivity symptoms. Negative correlation was found between interference control of ADHD-C group and anxiety/ depression, aggressive behavior reported by their teachers. In addition, negative correlation was also found between non-verbal working memory and attention problems, and also between cognitive flexibility and thinking problems.
Conclusions The executive function problems on children with ADHD-combined type are not cross all executive function tasks. Current findings showed that children with ADHD-combined type only have difficulty in interference control, non-verbal working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Further analysis also showed good discriminative rate with the above three executive function performances. In addition, current findings showed correlation found only between these executive function performances and their behavioral problems reported by their teachers, but not between their executive function performances and the ADHD symptoms.
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