Is There a Functional Relation Between Set Shifting and Hyperactivity in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)?

Abstract

Objective: Replicated evidence indicates that children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show disproportionate increases in hyperactivity/physical movement when their underdeveloped executive functions are taxed. However, our understanding of hyperactivity’s relation with set shifting is limited, which is surprising given set shifting’s importance as the third core executive function alongside working memory and inhibition. The aim of this study was to experimentally examine the effect of imposing set shifting and inhibition demands on objectively measured activity level in children with and without ADHD. Method: The current study used a validated experimental manipulation to differentially evoke set shifting, inhibition, and general cognitive demands in a carefully phenotyped sample of children aged 8–13 years with ADHD (n = 43) and without ADHD (n = 34). Activity level was sampled during each task using multiple, high-precision actigraphs; total hyperactivity scores (THS) were calculated. Results: Results of the 2 × 5 Bayesian ANOVA for hyperactivity revealed strong support for a main effect of task (BF10 = 1.79 × 1018, p < .001, ω2 = .20), such that children upregulated their physical movement in response to general cognitive demands and set shifting demands specifically, but not in response to increased inhibition demands. Importantly, however, this manipulation did not disproportionally increase hyperactivity in ADHD as demonstrated by significant evidence against the task × group interaction (BF01 = 18.21, p = .48, ω2 = .002). Conclusions: Inhibition demands do not cause children to upregulate their physical activity. Set shifting produces reliable increases in children’s physical movement/hyperactivity over and above the effects of general cognitive demands but cannot specifically explain hyperactivity in children with ADHD.

Central executive training for ADHD: Effects on academic achievement, productivity, and success in the classroom.

“…In addition to replicated evidence of CET’s direct benefits for children with ADHD, the present findings also have implications for conceptual models of academic functioning by providing causal evidence that improving working memory results in improvements in overall academic achievement, math and reading skills specifically, and academic productivity and success in the classroom. Additional research is needed to examine the extent to which CET-related improvements in working memory also portend improvements in other functional domains (e.g., peer/social and family functioning, organizational skills, activities of daily living; Abikoff et al, 2013; Irwin et al, 2021; Mikami & Normand, 2015) and cognitive functions (e.g., set shifting; Irwin et al, 2019, 2020) that are impaired in children with ADHD and linked with their working memory difficulties.…”

Academic Outcomes: Behavioral Parent Training vs. Central Executive Training vs. Inhibitory Control Training for ADHD

“…In addition to replicated evidence of CET's direct benefits for children with ADHD, the current findings also have implications for conceptual models of academic functioning by providing causal evidence that improving working memory results in improvements in overall academic achievement, math and reading skills specifically, and academic productivity and success in the classroom. Additional research is needed to examine the extent to which CET-related improvements in working memory also portend improvements in other functional domains (e.g., peer/social and family functioning, organizational skills, activities of daily living; Abikoff et al, 2013;Irwin et al, 2021;Kofler et al, 2017;Mikami & Normand, 2015) and cognitive functions (e.g., set shifting; Irwin et al, 2019Irwin et al, , 2020 that are impaired in children with ADHD and linked with their working memory difficulties. Achievement; GSV = standardized growth scale values (for all subtests, the average GSV for grade 3 is anchored at 500.…”

Actigraph-Measured Movement Correlates of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptoms in Young People with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) with and without Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

“…The cognitive tests used during actigraphy in this study required participants to interact with investigators and respond to questions in a one-on-one structured session; these conditions could have the effect of stymieing hyperactivity [33]. Previous actigraph studies have indicated that ADHD-related hyperactivity is modulated by situational demands on executive functioning, with more intensive situations eliciting more hyperactivity [55][56][57]. It is unclear if this same pattern holds true for individuals with TSC or other disorders who may have significant cognitive issues due to ADHD as well as other psychological and neurological issues.…”