Cognitive effects of psychostimulant medication in hyperactive children.
Hyperactive and normal children were given a test of selective attention (Stroop test) and a neurocognitive test sensitive to a functional deficit of prefrontal cortex (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Hyperactive children showed significant deficits on both measures. After a year of psychostimulant medication, the hyperactive children all showed clinical and neurocognitive improvement, but continued to show a selective attention deficit compared with normal children. The results indicate a dissociation between the cognitive processes measured by the Wisconsin test and selective attention as measured by the Stroop, and that the selective attention deficit is more resistant to psychostimulant intervention.
Ecole de Psychologie, Université Laval Ste Foy, Québec, Canada.
J
J
Everett
J
J
Thomas
F
F
Cote
J
J
Levesque
D
D
Michaud
D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants