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. 2018 Apr;49(2):298-307.
doi: 10.1007/s10578-017-0749-5.

Boys with Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder Show Impaired Adaptation During Stress: An Executive Functioning Study

Jantiene Schoorl  1   2 , Sophie van Rijn  3   4 , Minet de Wied  5 , Stephanie van Goozen  3   6 , Hanna Swaab  3   4
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Boys with Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder Show Impaired Adaptation During Stress: An Executive Functioning Study

Jantiene Schoorl et al. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2018 Apr.

Abstract

Evidence for problems in executive functioning (EF) in children with oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) is mixed and the impact stress may have on EF is understudied. Working memory, sustained attention, inhibition and cognitive flexibility of boys with ODD/CD (n = 65) and non-clinical controls (n = 32) were examined under typical and stressful test conditions. Boys with ODD/CD showed impaired working memory under typical testing conditions, and impairments in working memory and sustained attention under stressful conditions. In contrast to controls, performance on sustained attention, cognitive flexibility and inhibition was less influenced by stress in boys with ODD/CD. These results suggest that boys with ODD/CD show impairments in adaptation to the environment whereas typically developing boys show adaptive changes in EF.

Keywords: Aggression; Conduct disorder; Executive functioning; Oppositional defiant disorder; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

This study was supported by grant number 056-21-010 funded by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) awarded to Hanna Swaab, Minet de Wied and Stephanie van Goozen.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Increase and decrease of EFs during typical and stressful test conditions in the ODD/CD and NC group. Significant interaction effects were found for sustained attention, inhibition and cognitive flexibility. a Significant group difference between ODD/CD and NC group. b Significant difference between stressful and typical test conditions in the ODD/CD group. c Significant difference between stressful and typical testing conditions in the NC group
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