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Heart rate and reinforcement sensitivity in ADHD
Author(s) -
Luman Marjolein,
Oosterlaan Jaap,
Hyde Christopher,
Van Meel Catharina S.,
Sergeant Joseph A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01769.x
Subject(s) - reinforcement , psychology , dysfunctional family , heart rate variability , heart rate , audiology , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , blood pressure
Background: Both theoretical and clinical accounts of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) implicate a dysfunctional reinforcement system. This study investigated heart rate parameters in response to feedback associated with reward and response cost in ADHD children and controls aged 8 to 12. Methods: Heart rate responses (HRRs) following feedback and heart rate variability (HRV) in the low frequency band (.04–.08 Hz), a measure of mental effort, were calculated during a time production paradigm. Performance was coupled to monetary gain, loss or feedback‐only in a cross‐over design. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited smaller HRRs to feedback compared to controls. HRV of children with ADHD decreased when performance was coupled to reward or response cost compared to feedback‐only. HRV of controls was similar across conditions. Conclusions: Children with ADHD were characterised by (a) possible abnormalities in feedback monitoring and (b) motivational deficits, when no external reinforcement is present.