Post-Error Slowing in Patients With ADHD: A Meta-Analysis.
Post-error slowing (PES) is a cognitive mechanism for adaptive responses to reduce the probability of error in subsequent trials after error. To date, no meta-analytic summary of individual studies has been conducted to assess whether ADHD patients differ from controls in PES.



We identified 15 relevant publications, reporting 26 pairs of comparisons (ADHD, n = 1,053; healthy control, n = 614). Random-effect meta-analysis was used to determine the statistical effect size (ES) for PES.



PES was diminished in the ADHD group as compared with controls, with an ES in the medium range (Cohen's d = 0.42). Significant group difference was observed in relation to the inter-stimulus interval (ISI): While healthy participants slowed down after an error during long (3,500 ms) compared with short ISIs (1,500 ms), ADHD participants sustained or even increased their speed.



The pronounced group difference suggests that PES may be considered as a behavioral indicator for differentiating ADHD patients from healthy participants.
Semmelweis University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary balogh.livia@med.semmelweis-univ.hu.
Lívia
L
Balogh
Semmelweis University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Budapest, Hungary.|Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.
Pál
P
Czobor
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*
ADD/ADHD; behavioral regulation; continuous performance tasks; effect size; inhibition