Right Hemisphere Dysfunction in Subjects With Attention-Deficit Disorder With and Without Hyperactivity

Abstract

The attention-deficit disorder, with and without hyperactivity, is associated with defective attention, response inhibition and, in attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity, with motor restlessness. In adults, inattention, defective response inhibition, and impersistence are more commonly seen in right hemisphere lesions. In the present study, we investigate possible right hemisphere dysfunctions in attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity. The right hemisphere performance of 60 teenagers, 16 having attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity, 9 having attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity, and 35 controls, selected clinically (DSM-III) and experimentally (through Continuous Performance Test and Paced Auditory Addition Task), with normal IQ was assessed using a wide-ranging battery of visuospatial, visuoperceptive, and visuoconstructive functions (Benton's Line Orientation, Benton's Visual Retention, Raven's Progressive Matrices, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale [WAIS] Block-Design, Rey's Complex Figure). Teenagers with attention-deficit disorder with and without hyperactivity performed significantly worse than controls. Greater differences were found between subjects with attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity and control than between subjects with attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity and control subjects. Our results seem to be consistent with right-hemisphere dysfunction, especially in subjects with attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity. Additionally, WAIS Block-Design and Benton's Line Orientation are the visuospatial tests with the highest discriminant power to differentiate between controls, subjects with attention-deficit disorder without hyperactivity, and subjects with attention-deficit disorder with hyperactivity.

Animal models of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a critical review

“…This behaviour appears to be related to a functional dominance of the right hemisphere (Magara et al 2000). This is interesting since dysfunctioning of the right hemisphere has also been discussed in human ADHD (Garcia-Sanchez et al 1997;Stefanatos and Wasserstein 2001), and reduced sizes of callosal regions have been found in some patients with ADHD (Baumgardner et al 1996;Giedd et al 1994;Hynd et al 1991;SemrudClikeman et al 1994). However, whether or not alterations in the human corpus callosum contribute to the aetiology of ADHD remains an open question.…”

The Role of Simple Emotion Recognition Skills among School Aged Boys at Risk of ADHD

“…Several studies have investigated the right hemisphere model of ADHD demonstrating that abnormalities in the right hemisphere are indeed characteristic of ADHD and they account for various symptoms presented by this disorder (Aman, Roberts, & Pennington, 1998, Sandson, Bachna, & Morin, 2000, such as inattention, slower reaction times, visuospatial problems and poor social skills (Garcia-Sanchez, EstevezGonzalez, Suarez-Romero, & Junque, 1997;Stefanatos & Wasserstein, 2001). Behavioral and neurological studies with healthy and brain damaged subjects, has established that emotion recognition involves right hemisphere parietotemporal systems (Borod et al, 1998;Gainotti, 2000;Indersmitten & Gur, 2003;Pollak & Wismer Fries, 2001) and that this process does not emphasize higher order executive functions (Barkley, 1997;Gainotti, 2001).…”

Old and new controversies in the alternative treatment of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Studies conflict as to whether increases or decreases of alpha wave rhythm activity improve alertness in children [Ramirez et al, 2001]. Hemisphere-specific training, which provides unilateral or bilateral biofeedback for changing brain waves, is based upon findings of right-hemispheric dysfunction among some patients with ADHD [Heilman et al, 1991;Garcia-Sanchez 1997]. As with alpha biofeedback, few studies have focused on hemisphere-specific biofeedback training.…”