title: "Ecological" and highly demanding executive tasks detect real-life deficits in high-functioning adult ADHD patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many adult ADHD patients with a convincing history of real-life executive deficits perform entirely within normal limits or with minimally impaired performance in classical executive tests. The authors assessed a group of high cognitive functioning adult ADHD participants on "ecological" and "highly demanding" executive tasks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 117 adult ADHD participants were classified as showing either a high-functioning (Hi-ADHD) or a low-functioning (Lo-ADHD) neuropsychological profile based on standard assessment. Their performance was compared with healthy controls (n = 21) on an ecological task of executive function (the hotel task) and computerized tasks of high cognitive demand.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lo-ADHD significantly differed from controls on multiple standard neuropsychological variables as well as on the experimental tasks. Hi-ADHD and healthy controls did not differ significantly on any of the standard neuropsychological variables, but a significant difference was found between the groups on measures of the experimental tasks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Real-life executive dysfunction of patients with ADHD who perform within normal range on standard assessment can be detected with the use of more ecological and highly demanding tasks.
authors: Institute of Cognitive Neurology, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ttorralva@neurolgiacognitiva.org
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Torralva
authors: Ezequiel
authors: E
authors: Gleichgerrcht
authors: Alicia
authors: A
authors: Lischinsky
authors: María
authors: M
authors: Roca
authors: Facundo
authors: F
authors: Manes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003071:Cognition; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests