Visual Attention, Orthographic Word Recognition, and Executive Functioning in Children With ADHD, Dyslexia, or ADHD + Dyslexia

Abstract

Objective: The current study examined the differences in visual selective attention, orthographic word recognition, and executive functioning. Method: One hundred and forty Ecuadorian children in third and fifth grades of elementary school (8-10 years old) participated in the study—35 with only dyslexia (DD), 35 with the combined type of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-C), 35 with disorders (DD + ADHD-C), and 35 typical development children (TD). Results: The Ecuadorian children with DD and/or ADHD-C in this age range usually have difficulties in visual selective attention, and also in orthographic word recognition. The executive functioning results showed that such functioning was worse in the ADHD-C groups (with or without DD), but not in the DD group, supporting the dissociation between DD and ADHD-C in executive functioning in this population. Conclusion: The DD + ADHD-C comorbidity produces worse deficits compared to DD, but not compared to ADHD-C, supporting the idea that there are common factors in DD and ADHD-C.

Distribution of Visual and Oculomotor Alterations in a Clinical Population of Children with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders

“…Besides this, there is also a limitation in the sample size of each subtype of neurodevelopmental disorders, but it should be considered that it is difficult to recruit children with a scientifically precise diagnosis of these conditions (dyslexia, ADHD or DCD) with no previous treatments or therapies. It should be considered that a great proportion of children with learning disorders can combine symptoms of dyslexia, ADHD and DCD [48]. Finally, it should be remarked that a large percentage of children without neurodevelopmental disorders but with oculomotor abnormalities was found in the current study.…”

Revisión sistemática e implicaciones para el diagnóstico psicopedagógico: comorbilidad Dislexia/TDAH

“…Tres artículos (Wang et al,2013;Fernández-Andrés et al, 2019;Kibby et al, 2015) evalúan la atención selectiva visual. En las pruebas se utilizaron dibujos, dibujos de objetos cotidianos y figuras geométricas.…”

Link Between Topographic Memory and the Combined Presentation of ADHD (ADHD-C): A Pilot Study

“…One of the most prominent cognitive weaknesses in patients with ADHD appears to be visuospatial working memory (VSWM), including short-term memory (STM) and central executive (CE) function (35). ADHD-combined subtype (ADHD-C), described as the more pervasive and impairing form of the disorder (36), shows significantly higher impairing rates in the functioning of vigilance, sustained attention, visual attention task, especially inhibition and shifting, visuo-spatial short-term memory, working memory, short-term memory compared to TD, and the other ADHD subtypes (37)(38)(39)(40)(41). Pasini et al (42) conducted a study on attention and executive functions profile in drug-naive ADHD subtypes, founding that ADHD patients, inattentive and combined subtypes, differ from controls on response inhibition, divided attention, phonological, and visual object working memory and on variability of reaction times (43).…”

“…In particular, some studies highlighted an association between specific subtypes of ADHD and TD and specific executive function impairments (38)(39)(40). In particular, children and adolescents with the ADHD-C subtype seemed to show significantly more impaired functioning on perseverative errors, visual attention tasks, especially inhibition and shifting, visuospatial short-term memory, working memory, and shortterm memory compared to TD and the other ADHD subtypes (38)(39)(40)(41)82). Furthermore, besides having a diagnosis of ADHD-C, the individuals included in the study had to meet the following criteria of inclusion: age 8-10, I.Q.…”