Marie-France Pelletier1, Helen M Hodgetts2, Martin F Lafleur3, Annick Vincent4, Sébastien Tremblay5. 1. Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Canada marie-france.pelletier@institutsmq.qc.ca. 2. Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK. 3. Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Québec, Canada. 4. Centre médical l'Hêtrière, Clinique Focus, Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Canada. 5. Université Laval, Québec City, Canada.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: An ecologically valid adaptation of the irrelevant sound effect paradigm was employed to examine the relative roles of short-term memory, selective attention, and sustained attention in ADHD. METHOD: In all, 32 adults with ADHD and 32 control participants completed a serial recall task in silence or while ignoring irrelevant background sound. RESULTS: Serial recall performance in adults with ADHD was reduced relative to controls in both conditions. The degree of interference due to irrelevant sound was greater for adults with ADHD. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between task performance under conditions of irrelevant sound and the extent of attentional problems reported by patients on a clinical symptom scale. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that adults with ADHD exhibit impaired short-term memory and a low resistance to distraction; however, their capacity for sustained attention is preserved as the impact of irrelevant sound diminished over the course of the task.
OBJECTIVE: An ecologically valid adaptation of the irrelevant sound effect paradigm was employed to examine the relative roles of short-term memory, selective attention, and sustained attention in ADHD. METHOD: In all, 32 adults with ADHD and 32 control participants completed a serial recall task in silence or while ignoring irrelevant background sound. RESULTS: Serial recall performance in adults with ADHD was reduced relative to controls in both conditions. The degree of interference due to irrelevant sound was greater for adults with ADHD. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between task performance under conditions of irrelevant sound and the extent of attentional problems reported by patients on a clinical symptom scale. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that adults with ADHD exhibit impaired short-term memory and a low resistance to distraction; however, their capacity for sustained attention is preserved as the impact of irrelevant sound diminished over the course of the task.
Authors: Saleh M H Mohamed; Marah Butzbach; Anselm B M Fuermaier; Matthias Weisbrod; Steffen Aschenbrenner; Lara Tucha; Oliver Tucha Journal: PLoS One Date: 2021-09-02 Impact factor: 3.240