Neuropsychological and Electrophysiological Profiles in Adolescents with ADHD: a Qualitative Approach

Abstract

Previous studies report the absence of a single pattern of attention-deficit, as isolated clinical picture, according to neuropsychological and electrophysiological characteristics during ontogeny. The aim of this study was to use qualitative approach of cultural historical neuropsychology introduced by A.R. Luria to detect the neuropsychological functional factors which underline the cases of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder in adolescence. The study included 20 adolescents, 10 with ADHD, and 10 control subjects. The method of analysis of neuropsychological syndrome was used to identify the functional state of neuropsychological brain factors according to the results of neuropsychological qualitative assessment. The electroencephalogram method was also applied, using a visual qualitative study to evaluate the functional level of cortical and subcortical brain structures. The results obtained using qualitative analysis of the data confirm the presence of different clinical pictures in adolescents with ADHD from neuropsychological and electrophysiological level of analysis. There is no any kind of unique isolated patterns, but rather, diffuse and more global participation of subcortical regulation of different levels. The results show that ADHD is not a single clinical picture as several neuropsychological profiles were detected. Qualitative analysis of syndromes, according to cultural historical approach, suggest the necessity of an individual approach for the precision of brain functional mechanisms (or neuropsychological factors) in each concrete case.