title: Electrodermal responding predicts responses to, and may be altered by, preschool intervention for ADHD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate electrodermal activity (EDA) as a prospective biomarker of treatment response, to determine whether patterns of EDA are altered by treatment, and to assess oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) as a possible moderator of trajectories in EDA after an empirically supported behavioral intervention for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in preschool.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nonspecific fluctuations (NSFs) in skin conductance, which index sympathetic nervous system activity, were assessed among 4-6 year old children with ADHD (n = 99) before they participated with their parents in 1 of 2 versions of the Incredible Years intervention. All were reassessed at posttreatment, and a subgroup (n = 49) were assessed again at 1-year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No difference in pretreatment NSFs was observed between ADHD participants and a group of normal control children (n = 41). Nevertheless, among those with ADHD, fewer NSFs at pretest predicted poorer treatment response on 4 of 7 externalizing outcomes. Furthermore, treatment was associated with increasing NSFs across time, but not for those who scored high on ODD at pretest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low EDA appears to mark resistance to treatment among preschoolers with ADHD. Furthermore, although our study was not experimental, treatment was associated with longitudinal increases in EDA, which were not observed in a normal control group. This may suggest increased sensitivity to discipline, with positive implications for long term outcome. In contrast to treated participants as a whole, however, those who scored high on ODD at pretest exhibited reduced EDA over time. (PsycINFO Database Record
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University.
authors.forename: Theodore P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Beauchaine
authors.affiliation: Seattle Children's Research Institute.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University.
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4470-4555
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gatzke-Kopp
authors.affiliation: Incredible Years.
authors.forename: M Jamila
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.affiliation: Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, University of British Columbia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chipman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington State University.
authors.forename: Austin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brekke
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington State University.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olliges
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Washington State University.
authors.forename: Shelby
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shoemaker
authors.affiliation: Incredible Years.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Webster-Stratton
mesh_terms: D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome