title: Visuo-spatial working memory span: a sensitive measure of cognitive deficits in children with ADHD.
abstract: Working memory (WM) has been hypothesised to be impaired in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are few studies reported on tests measuring visuo-spatial WM (VSWM) in ADHD. Some of these studies used paradigms including episodic memory, others only used low memory loads. In the present study we used a VSWM test that has not been used previously in ADHD research. The sensitivity of the VSWM test and a choice reaction time (CRT) test was evaluated in a pilot study by comparing them to two commonly used tests in ADHD-research; the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and a Go/no-go test, in children with and without ADHD. The groups differed significantly in performance on the VSWM test (P < .01) and CRT (P < .05) but not on the CPT (P > .1) or on the Go/no-go test (P > .1). The results from the VSWM and CRT tests were replicated in a larger sample of participants (80 boys; 27 boys with ADHD and 53 controls, mean age 11.4 years). The difference between the groups was significant for both the VSWM test (P < .01) and the CRT test (P < .01). The effect size (ES) of the VSWM test was 1.34. There was a significant age-by-group interaction on the VSWM test, with larger group differences for the older children (P < .01). Our results show that the VSWM test is a sensitive measure of cognitive deficits in ADHD and it supports the hypothesis that deficits in VSWM is a major component of ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropediatrics, Karolinska Institute, Astrid Lindgrens Barnsjukhus Q2:07, 171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. helena.westerberg@ks.se
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westerberg
authors.forename: Tatja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hirvikoski
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Forssberg
authors.forename: Torkel
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klingberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013548:Sweden; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*