title: Increased γ oscillations during voluntary selection processes in adult patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
abstract: Executive dysfunctions (regarding behavioural inhibition, decision making, flexibility or voluntary selection) rank among the core symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Several studies demonstrated functional variations in patients with ADHD especially during response inhibition and flexibility. However, information about functional correlates of other aspects of executive functions such as voluntary selection processes is limited. A group of thirty adult patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and 30 healthy controls, matched for age and education, participated in the present study. Electrophysiological responses (event-related potentials, gamma oscillations) and behavioural data were acquired during the voluntary selection between various response alternatives. ADHD patients demonstrated increased responses in the gamma frequency band especially in frontal and fronto-central brain areas during voluntary response selection processes compared to healthy subjects. In addition, the error rate was increased in patients. Given that gamma-band responses have been related to GABAergic and glutamatergic responses these results may indicate accordant dysfunction in patients with ADHD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany. Susanne.Karch@med.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Karch
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Segmiller
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hantschk
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cerovecki
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Opgen-Rhein
authors.forename: Bettina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hock
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dargel
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leicht
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hennig-Fast
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pogarell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058256:Brain Waves / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales; D055815:Young Adult