Information Processing and Energetic Factors in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Abstract

Critically addresses the issues as to whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) children are unable to inhibit, when appropriate ongoing activity and if so, what the processes underlying the apparent inhibitory dysfunction are. The cognitive-energetic model guiding this research is presented, and clinical tests and tasks used to study inhibition are reviewed. The authors suggest that clinical tests are insufficiently specific to conclude that the core of ADHD is an inhibition deficit. It is argued that the claim of an inhibitory deficit in ADHD fails to take account of the fact that poor inhibitory performance is not specific to ADHD. It is argued that energetic factors are critical to the performance deficits of ADHD children. Electrophysiological and neural imaging studies are reviewed to support the energetic position. The authors argue that the evident problems of inhibitory control in ADHD children need to be studied with methods that can determine whether this apparent disinhibitory problem is modulated by energetic factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)(chapter)