title: Poor stimulus discriminability as a common neuropsychological deficit between ADHD and reading ability in young children: a moderated mediation model.
abstract: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently associated with poorer reading ability; however, the specific neuropsychological domains linking this co-occurrence remain unclear. This study evaluates information-processing characteristics as possible neuropsychological links between ADHD symptoms and RA in a community-based sample of children and early adolescents with normal IQ (⩾70).
  
  
  
  The participants (n = 1857, aged 6-15 years, 47% female) were evaluated for reading ability (reading single words aloud) and information processing [stimulus discriminability in the two-choice reaction-time task estimated using diffusion models]. ADHD symptoms were ascertained through informant (parent) report using the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA). Verbal working memory (VWM; digit span backwards), visuospatial working memory (VSWM, Corsi Blocks backwards), sex, socioeconomic status, and IQ were included as covariates.
  
  
  
  In a moderated mediation model, stimulus discriminability mediated the effect of ADHD on reading ability. This indirect effect was moderated by age such that a larger effect was seen among younger children.
  
  
  
  The findings support the hypothesis that ADHD and reading ability are linked among young children via a neuropsychological deficit related to stimulus discriminability. Early interventions targeting stimulus discriminability might improve symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity and reading ability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lúcio
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Salum
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Rohde
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology,University of Toronto,Toronto,Canada.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Swardfager
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gadelha
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Sciences and Department of Statistics,University of California,Irvine, CA,USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandekerckhove
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: G V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Polanczyk
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INCT-CNPq),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: do Rosário
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Jackowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mari
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry,Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP),Sao Paulo,Brazil.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cogo-Moreira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D011932:Reading
keywords: ADHD; diffusion model; moderated-mediation; reading ability