Executive dysfunction screening and intelectual coefficient measurement in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a complete Intelligence quotient (IQ) measurement (verbal, performance, and total) and subsequently, to compare executive function (EF) measurements in subgroups of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with a control group.

METHOD

We studied a group of children from 7-12 years of age from public elementary schools. Children were selected by means of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-Revised (DSM-IV-R) parent and teacher questionnaires for ADHD. EFs were screened by Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-R) performance intelligence quotient (IQ) determination of the following sub-tests: picture completion; block designs, and object assembly tests. Simultaneously, total (T-), performance (P-), and verbal (V-) IQs were measured for each patient.

RESULTS

We studied 26 control subjects, and 35 children with ADHD. Numbers of children in each ADHD sub-type group were as follows: 15 in the combined group (-C), 13 in the inattentive group (-I), and 7 in hyperactivity group (-H). We found significant lower EF scores in picture arrangement (F=3.76, df 3,57, p=0.01), block design (F=4.55, df 3,57, p<0.01), and object assembly (F=4.52, df 3,57, p<0.01). Post-hoc analysis showed that differences were located among ADHD-C, ADHD-I, and ADHD-H groups when compared with controls. We found significantly lower cognitive scores in the ADHD-I group as follows: P-IQ (F=3.57, df 3,57, p=0.02), and T-IQ (F=2.90, df 3,57, p=0.04).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that screening of EF alteration in children with ADHD is easy and rapid by means of certain P-IQ determination sub-scales of the WISC test; moreover, complementary IQ determination can be measured simultaneously. Overall, children with ADHD exhibited an EF alteration. ADHD-I children demonstrated lower P-IQ, and T-IQ scores than control children.