Comparison of children with and without ADHD on measures of neurocognitive ability and androgen exposure
by Westhafer, John Gregory, Ph.D., THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 2007, 126 pages; 3277876

Abstract:

Two proposed markers of prenatal androgen exposure, otoacoustic emissions (OAES) and finger-length ratios (FLRs), were measured in boys with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to assess the relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and ADHD, as well as the possible cognitive correlates of this exposure. Neurocognitive measures included measures of attention, general intelligence, reading ability, and visuospatial skills. Several other variables which may also be related to androgen exposure were included (e.g., sleep disturbance, handedness, number of older brothers) in the analyses. Children ranged in age from 7 to 12 years old with 13 controls, 19 children with ADHD/Combined Type (ADHD/C), 10 with ADHD/Inattentive Type (ADHD/IA), and an additional 11 children with ADHD/IA who were rated by their parents as having relatively high levels of an experimental construct (sluggish cognitive tempo; SCT). Because more boys than girls are diagnosed with ADHD, it was hypothesized that ADHD may be associated with prenatal masculinizing hormones (i.e., androgens), and that children with ADHD would appear more masculine on markers of androgen exposure (OAEs and FLRs) than controls. However, in our current study children with ADHD did not differ from controls on these measures. There was some evidence that children with SCT may represent a more masculinized group of children within the ADHD/IA diagnostic group, and that these children display a deficit in alerting attention. Children with ADHD/C did not appear to have a deficit in alerting attention, but rather appeared more cognitively impulsive with less developed verbal attention. Symptoms of SCT were positively correlated with parent ratings of disrupted sleep.

 
AdvisersCaryn L. Carlson; Dennis McFadden
SchoolTHE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
SourceDAI/B 68-09, p. , Dec 2007
Source TypeDissertation
SubjectsPsychobiology; Clinical psychology; Cognitive psychology
Publication Number3277876
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