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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2007 Aug;30(8):1003-9.
doi: 10.1093/sleep/30.8.1003.

Performance on the continuous performance test in children with ADHD is associated with sleep efficiency

Reut Gruber  1 , Natalie Grizenko, George Schwartz, Johanne Bellingham, Rosherrie Guzman, Ridha Joober
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Performance on the continuous performance test in children with ADHD is associated with sleep efficiency

Reut Gruber et al. Sleep. 2007 Aug.

Abstract

Study objective: To examine whether the level of sleep efficiency of children diagnosed with ADHD moderates their performance on the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) while receiving a placebo and while receiving methylphenidate (MPH).

Design: Nightly sleep actigraphic assessment during a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover clinical study (1 week of 0.5 mg/kg MPH; 1 week of placebo) were obtained on 37 children between 6 and 12 years of age with a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD. Subjects were divided into 2 groups based on the mean sleep efficiency score during the placebo condition, with subjects above and below the mean placed in the Poor Sleep Group (PSG) and Good Sleep Group (GSG), respectively.

Setting: Vigilance testing was conducted in the laboratory; sleep was assessed in the home.

Measurements: Sleep was monitored using actigraphy for 2 weeks. In addition, parents were asked to complete nightly sleep logs and a sleep questionnaire. The Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT) was used to assess vigilance.

Results: Significant interaction of Sleep Group with Medication was found on 1 CPT factor.

Conclusions: The findings of the present study support the hypothesis that sleep moderates performance on CPT in children with ADHD while receiving placebo or MPH.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Performance of ADHD children in the poor sleep group (black) and good sleep group (white) on a CPT task while receiving placebo and while receiving medication. Graph represents task performance as measured by the tasks that were included in Factor 1: Omissions (missed targets), Reaction Time variability, Reaction Time Standard Error Variability and Beta.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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