A comparative study of executive functions among children with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and those with learning disabilities

Abstract

Background: Both ADHD and learning disorders have been found to be associated with executive dysfunctions; the executive functions’ (EFs) construct generally involves a series of components—planning, cognitive flexibility, inhibition, attention control, and verbal and visuo-spatial working memory—that work independently in many ways but are closely related. There were no significant studies comparing both disorders and excluding the drug’s effects on executive functions. In our study, we used BDEFS-CA to assess executive functions among a sample of 340 children divided in to four groups: group 1 (100 children), ADHD only; group II (80 children), LD only; group III (60 children), combined ADHD and LD; and group IV (100 children), control group. We included children aged from 6 to 13 of both sexes of average IQ and all had to be drug naive with no sensory impairment or disabling neurological disorder and after their parents’ consent. Results: The results showed that there was significant higher affection of the five executive functions domains in the first three groups more than the fourth control group. Furthermore, the self-restraint (response-inhibition) executive dysfunction was the most commonly affected EF in group I while time management EF and self-regulation and problem solving EF were the most commonly affected EF in the LD group. Conclusions: Complete executive function profile assessment should be done for children diagnosed with ADHD or learning disability and EF intervention program should be included in the management plan for better outcomes mainly self-restraint EF in case of ADHD and problem solving and self-organization EF in case of learning disabilities.