Zeynep Baran Tatar1, Alparslan Cansız2. 1. Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey. 2. Harran University Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, Sanliurfa, Turkey.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Studies exploring the theory of mind (ToM) in adults with Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), have tended to result in mixed findings. The contribution of neuropsychologic functions to ToM has not been investigated yet in adults with ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate ToM abilities and the role of attention and executive functions in ToM of adults with ADHD. METHODS: This study was conducted in Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital. Forty adults with ADHD and 40 healthy controls were administered a sociodemographic data form, and scales. Both groups were also assessed by Reading Mind From the Eyes Test (RMET), Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A-B and Continuous Performance Test (CPT). RESULTS: ToM was significantly impaired in adults with ADHD relative to controls (23.50 ± 3.44 and 26.25 ± 1.67, t(77) = 4.543, p = 0.003). Adults with ADHD performed worse on TMT Part B (76.02 ± 51.47 and 46.39 ± 18.33 seconds, t(78) = -3.429, p < 0.001), and CPT than the controls (46.20 ± 8.09 and 52.00 ± 3.56, t(78) = 4.145, p < 0.001). A significant regression equation was found: F (1,38) = 6.494, β = -0.382, p < 0.05 with an R² of 0.146. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that adults with ADHD demonstrated social cognition difficulties and executive function deficits contributed to poor ToM abilities in ADHD.
INTRODUCTION: Studies exploring the theory of mind (ToM) in adults with Attention/Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), have tended to result in mixed findings. The contribution of neuropsychologic functions to ToM has not been investigated yet in adults with ADHD. The aim of this study was to investigate ToM abilities and the role of attention and executive functions in ToM of adults with ADHD. METHODS: This study was conducted in Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital. Forty adults with ADHD and 40 healthy controls were administered a sociodemographic data form, and scales. Both groups were also assessed by Reading Mind From the Eyes Test (RMET), Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A-B and Continuous Performance Test (CPT). RESULTS: ToM was significantly impaired in adults with ADHD relative to controls (23.50 ± 3.44 and 26.25 ± 1.67, t(77) = 4.543, p = 0.003). Adults with ADHD performed worse on TMT Part B (76.02 ± 51.47 and 46.39 ± 18.33 seconds, t(78) = -3.429, p < 0.001), and CPT than the controls (46.20 ± 8.09 and 52.00 ± 3.56, t(78) = 4.145, p < 0.001). A significant regression equation was found: F (1,38) = 6.494, β = -0.382, p < 0.05 with an R² of 0.146. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that adults with ADHD demonstrated social cognition difficulties and executive function deficits contributed to poor ToM abilities in ADHD.
Entities:
Keywords:
Adult ADHD; continuous performance test; neurocognitive measures; social cognition
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