title: Age-dependent differences in attentional processes in ADHD and disruptive behavior disorder.
abstract: The aim of this study was to analyze age-dependent differences in attentional performance in subjects aged 8-16 years with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with or without disruptive behavior disorders (DBD). Age effects were investigated in three different groups (ADHD [N = 118], ADHD + DBD [N = 105], and controls [N = 105]) on a sustained attention and a Go-No-Go paradigm. Attentional competencies increased with age and children in the two clinical groups performed worse than control children on both tasks. However, these group differences between ADHD, ADHD + DBD, and controls decreased with increasing age. Thus, age-related differences must be considered in neuropsychological studies.
authors.affiliation: Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Clinics, Technical University Aachen, Aachen, Germany. thomas.guenther2@post.rwth-aachen.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Günther
authors.forename: Jellemer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jolles
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herpertz-Dahlmann
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Konrad
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires