Dynamic changes in quantitative electroencephalogram during continuous performance test in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

To establish whether dynamic EEG changes in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) differ from those observed in controls, the authors investigated the effect of the continuous performance test (CPT) on delta, theta, alpha and beta frequency bands. High-resolution electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during eyes-open resting and CPT performance in 16 right-handed children meeting the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD and 16 age-matched controls. Significant CPT vs. eyes-open differences in EEG activities was observed in children with ADHD. In particular, switching to CPT induced an alpha power increase in children with ADHD and an alpha power decrease in controls. This may reflect a primary deficit associated with cortical hypoarousal in ADHD. These EEG results agree with behavioral findings leading the authors to suggest that dynamic changes in neural network activities are impaired in children with ADHD.