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Neurocognitive assessment of children with neurodevelopmental disorders: Preliminary findings
Author(s) -
Kawabe Kentaro,
Horiuchi Fumie,
Kondo Shizuka,
Matsumoto Miki,
Seo Kanae,
Oka Yasunori,
Ueno Shuichi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.13662
Subject(s) - neurocognitive , cognition , methylphenidate , impulsivity , medicine , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , continuous performance task , clinical psychology , autism spectrum disorder , cognitive test , autism , psychiatry , audiology , pediatrics
Background Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) is characterized by inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, and is often treated pharmacologically. It is necessary to use both subjective and objective assessments to diagnose and determine the efficacy of pharmacological treatment in children with ADHD , but cognitive assessment tools for ADHD are scarce. We examined a computer‐administered, brief, and repeatable cognitive assessment tool: CogHealth. The aims of this study were to use the CogHealth battery, an objective assessment tool, to compare cognitive function between children with ADHD or ADHD + autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ) and healthy children and to assess improvements in cognitive function following pharmacological treatment. Methods We measured the cognitive function of nine children with ADHD or ADHD + ASD using CogHealth and compared the results with those of 33 age‐matched children from the community. Cognitive function comparisons were made before and after psychostimulant treatment with methylphenidate. Results We detected significant cognitive abnormalities in the children with ADHD , compared with the control subjects. The children with pre‐treatment ADHD had significantly more errors on the detection task ( DT ), and more anticipatory errors in the one card learning task, compared with control children. The children with ADHD significantly improved their accuracy on the one back test ( OBT ), and had significantly fewer errors, anticipatory errors, and shorter reaction times after osmotic‐release oral system methylphenidate treatment. Conclusion The DT is a useful neurocognitive function assessment for children with ADHD , and the OBT can measure pharmacological treatment effectiveness in children with ADHD .