Neuropsychological Deficits in Adult ADHD: Evidence for Differential Attentional Impairments, Deficient Executive Functions, and High Self-Reported Functional Impairments

Abstract

Objective: This study is aimed to investigate neuropsychological deficits in adult ADHD. Method: Neuropsychological deficits in terms of executive functions, divided, selective, and sustained attention, were investigated in a group of adults with ADHD using a series of neuropsychological tests as well as electroencephalography (EEG). Subjective ratings of everyday life attention and memory problems were also collected. Results: Adults with ADHD showed impairments in executive functions, divided attention and sustained attention, compared with adult controls. Performance on selective attention tasks in adults with ADHD was instead no different from control participants' performance. EEG results confirmed neuropsychological findings by showing a selective impairment on P3 event-related potential (ERP) amplitude indicative of sustained attention deficits. Higher subjective ratings of everyday attentional and memory problems were also found in the ADHD group compared with the control group. Conclusion: This pattern of results suggests differential impairments of attentional skills. Impaired executive functions and higher subjective functional impairments were also found.

Keywords: adult ADHD; neuropsychological functioning; selective attention; sustained attention.