J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc.  2003 Nov;42(6):736-741.

Characteristics of Attention in Children with Post-Injury Attention-Deficit Disorder and Developmental Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

• Park SH
• Ahn JS
• Park GS
• Cho MR
• Shin J
• Byun JS

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Children with post-injury attention deficit disorder (ADD) exhibit deficiencies in academic functioning, social skills, and self-control, that are comparable to developmental attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The similarities and differences of the two conditions have to be studied because some children with traumatic brain injury have shown premorbid ADD and seem to be less responsive to psychostimulants.
METHODS
Characteristics of cognition and attention of post-injury ADD (n=12) and developmental ADHD (n=12) boys were investigated by administering KEDI-WISC and Visual and Auditory TOVA.
RESULTS
No differences in KEDI-WISC subtests were found between two diagnostic groups. Post-injury ADD boys show lower commission error (lower impulsivity) in visual and auditory TOVA, and lower variability of reaction time (higher information-processing consistency) in auditory TOVA than developmental ADHD boys (p<0.05, p<0.01).
CONCLUSION
Post-injury ADD and developmental ADHD are different in their attention components suggestively, which warrants further study for differential diagnosis and proper treatment.

Keyword

Post-injury ADD; Characteristics of attention

MeSH Terms

Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
Brain Injuries
Child*
Cognition
Diagnosis, Differential
Humans
Reaction Time