title: EEG and electrodermal activity in girls with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the Hypoarousal Model of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) in girls.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 girls with AD/HD and 40 girl controls (aged 7-12 years) had an eyes-closed resting EEG recorded from 19 electrodes and Fourier transformed. Estimates for total power, absolute and relative power in the delta, theta, alpha, beta and gamma frequency bands, and theta/beta ratio were analysed in nine cortical regions. Skin conductance level (SCL) was simultaneously recorded. Regression analyses explored relationships between symptoms and physiology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with controls, girls with AD/HD had globally elevated relative delta, globally reduced absolute beta, and globally reduced absolute and relative gamma activity. Girls with AD/HD also had lower mean SCL. Inattentive symptoms were predicted by elevated frontal relative delta, reduced SCL, and reduced temporal relative gamma activity, while elevated hyperactive-impulsive symptoms correlated with elevated frontal relative delta activity in both the patient and control groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These EEG results are comparable with the limited female AD/HD literature. Girls with AD/HD are hypoaroused, indicated by reduced SCL, and appear to have an anomalous arousal mechanism. Absolute and relative gamma results are similar to previous findings in AD/HD children. Symptom correlations with physiology offer intriguing insights for future research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to examine CNS arousal exclusively in girls with AD/HD.
authors.affiliation: Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and the School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Centre for Psychophysics, Psychophysiology, and Psychopharmacology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia. Electronic address: fdupuy@uow.edu.au.
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Dupuy
authors.affiliation: Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and the School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Centre for Psychophysics, Psychophysiology, and Psychopharmacology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.affiliation: Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and the School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Centre for Psychophysics, Psychophysiology, and Psychopharmacology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.affiliation: Sydney Developmental Clinic, 6/30 Carrington St., Sydney 2000, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Selikowitz
authors.affiliation: Sydney Developmental Clinic, 6/30 Carrington St., Sydney 2000, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response; D006801:Humans; D012146:Rest; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena
keywords: AD/HD; Arousal; EEG; Females; Girls; SCL