Department of Psychiatry, Roozbeh Psychiatry Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
Iran Psychiatric Institute, Iran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
Cogn Neuropsychiatry. 2020 Jan;25(1):28-44. doi: 10.1080/13546805.2019.1681951. Epub 2019 Oct 29.
Studies have documented both executive functions (EF) impairment in children with Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD) and Theory of Mind (ToM), yielding mixed results, possibly because of a variety of tasks used, all requiring different levels of language skills. To investigate the relationship between ToM and EF with non-language-based tasks. Thirty ADHD (7-9 years old) were compared to thirty controls (age and IQ matched). Participants' ToM was assessed using the Animated Triangles task and two EF tasks, namely spatial control test, the Stockings Of Cambridge (SOC) and rule and acquisition test, the Intra-Extra Dimensional set shift (IED)-from the neuropsychological battery of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). ADHD group had a significant ToM and EF impairment relative to the control group. ToM was not significantly correlated with EF; however, the performance on IED tasks affected the performance on ToM tasks. The study provides evidence for a link between the abilities to attribute correct mental states to others, planning and shifting attention in ADHD children, suggesting the ability to rely on cognitive flexibility in the face of a changing environment plays a role in explaining the association between ToM and EF.
研究记录了注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）儿童的执行功能（EF）损伤和心理理论（ToM），结果喜忧参半，这可能是因为使用了各种不同的任务，所有这些任务都需要不同水平的语言技能。为了研究非语言任务与 ToM 和 EF 之间的关系。将 30 名 ADHD（7-9 岁）儿童与 30 名对照组（年龄和智商匹配）进行比较。参与者的 ToM 通过动画三角形任务和两个 EF 任务来评估，即空间控制测试、剑桥储袜测试（SOC）和规则获取测试、剑桥神经心理测试自动化电池（CANTAB）中的内-外维度转移测试（IED）。ADHD 组在 ToM 和 EF 方面均显著受损。ToM 与 EF 之间没有显著相关性；然而，IED 任务的表现影响了 ToM 任务的表现。这项研究为 ADHD 儿童将正确的心理状态归因于他人、计划和转移注意力的能力之间的联系提供了证据，这表明在面对不断变化的环境时，依赖认知灵活性的能力在解释 ToM 和 EF 之间的关联方面发挥了作用。
