Biomedical subjects

Kathleen M Hagelthorn

Publications and source records attributed to Kathleen M Hagelthorn.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Age and task parameters in continuous performance tests for preschoolers.

66 children (M=56.2 mo., SD=10.9), recruited from preschool and daycare centers, were administered two continuous performance tests, one auditory and one visual. Both tests utilized a format with one target and one nontarget. Interstimulus interval was fixed at 1350 msec. for the visual test and 5000 msec. for the auditory test. The visual test produced greater rates of omission and commission errors than the auditory test. Age was significantly related to mean reaction time and response variability for both tests; however, the visual test produced an unexpected pattern of increasing response time across age groups. On both tests omission rates improved significantly with age, while commission rates were consistent across ages 3-6 years. When considering continuous performance test paradigms for preschoolers, 3-yr.-olds may need at least a 4000-msec. interstimulus interval to make a choice for the stimulus cue. Hits following an interstimulus interval shorter than 1400 msec. may reflect younger preschoolers' response to a previous stimulus.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Effects of IQ on executive function measures in children with ADHD.

The present study compared children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and controls on a selected set of clinical measures of executive function (EF). A total of 92 children (51 ADHD, 41 control), ages 6-16, completed measures chosen from a larger neuropsychological battery to illustrate diverse components of the EF construct (planning, inhibitory control, response preparation, memory search). The selected measures were moderately correlated with one another, and moderately correlated with IQ. After controlling for age, sex, presence of learning disability (LD), ADHD, and IQ test version, Full Scale IQ was significantly related to four of the five selected EF measures. A second analysis showed group differences on the EF measures at different IQ levels. After covarying for age, there was a significant multivariate effect for IQ level (average, high average, superior) and a significant multivariate interaction between group (ADHD vs. control) and IQ level. Three of the five selected EF measures showed significant univariate group effects (controls performing better than ADHD) at the average IQ level; however, there were no significant group differences between children with ADHD and controls at high average or superior IQ levels. These results suggest that clinical measures of EF may differ among children with ADHD and controls at average IQ levels, but there is poorer discriminatory power for these measures among children with above average IQ.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Validity of the behavior rating inventory of executive function in children with ADHD and/or Tourette syndrome.

The dynamic, multidimensional nature of executive function (EF), thought to be characteristically impaired in those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), has been challenging to operationalize and assess in a clinical setting [Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New York: Guilford Press.]. Gioia, Isquith, Guy, and Kenworthy [Gioia, G. A., Isquith, P. K., Guy, S. C., & Kenworthy, L. (2000) Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.] developed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) to address these concerns. In order to provide concurrent validity information on the BRIEF, parents of 76 children (ADHD=18; Tourette syndrome (TS)=21; TS+ADHD=17; controls=20) completed the BRIEF, additional behavior rating scales and interviews, measures of psychoeducational (PE) competence, and performance-based measures of EF. Both ADHD and TS+ADHD groups were rated as more impaired (P<.0001) than the other groups on the five primary BRIEF indices. BRIEF index scores showed no significant correlation with performance-based EF or PE measures, with the exception of math achievement; however, the BRIEF showed a strong relationship with interviews and other parent rating measures of behaviors seen in ADHD. Future attempts to validate the BRIEF should focus on differences within subtypes of ADHD (e.g., inattentive, combined subtypes), and separating ADHD from other clinical groups in which EF is reported to be a problem.

Journal Article↗