title: Fractionating Executive Functions of Adults With ADHD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the performance of adults with ADHD considering the fractionation of executive functions into six different domains.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were adult ADHD patients who were not under the acute effects of medication ( n = 48). Their performance was compared with that of a healthy control group ( n = 20) of comparable age, education, and nonverbal intelligence quotient. The cognitive domains assessed were executive shifting, updating, inhibition of prepotent responses, dual-task performance, planning, and access to long-term memory. We also assessed the symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, anxiety, and depression by validated questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with controls, patients reported more symptoms related to ADHD, anxiety and depression symptoms and were impaired in the shifting cost measure and phonemic fluency (measure of access to long-term memory).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ADHD in adults selectively impaired executive shifting and access to long-term memory, domains that may alter performance in a wide range of daily tasks.
authors.affiliation: 1 Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviane Freire
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Bueno
authors.affiliation: 2 Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Aparecida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.affiliation: 2 Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tânia Maria
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: 2 Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mario Rodrigues
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Louzã
authors.affiliation: 1 Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pompéia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: ADHD; adult; executive function; inhibition; task-switching