Sources of auditory selective attention and the effects of methylphenidate in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to determine 1) whether abnormal auditory selective attention in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as reflected in the processing negativity (PN) of the event-related potential, is related to impaired frontal functioning; and 2) how methylphenidate (MPh) affects attentional functioning in ADHD.


METHODS
Sources of electrical brain activity were estimated in healthy control children, in ADHD children without medication, and in children with ADHD during a placebo-controlled medication trial involving MPh.


RESULTS
The source models showed that the PN is generated in the auditory cortex. Children with ADHD showed less activity related to selective attention in this brain region. Administration of MPh resulted in more frontally located sources.


CONCLUSIONS
The results showed no evidence for an important role of the frontal cortex in abnormalities in selective attention in children with ADHD. Also, the data did not indicate that MPh normalizes brain activity in these children.
Kemner
Chantal
C
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Jonkman
Lisa M
LM
Kenemans
J Leon
JL
Böcker
Koen B E
KB
Verbaten
Marinus N
MN
Van Engeland
Herman
H
D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000187:drug effects; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010897:Pitch Discrimination / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
D008774:Methylphenidate