Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society

Table of Contents - July 2012 - Volume 18, Issue 04  

Research Articles

Set-Shifting in Adults with ADHD

Helene Barone Hallelanda1a2a3 c1, Jan Haavika2a4a5 and Astri J. Lundervolda1a2

a1 Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway

a2 K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Bergen, Norway

a3 Solli Hospital, Bergen, Norway

a4 Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Norway

a5 Department of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway

Abstract

Difficulties related to inhibition and set-shifting have been suggested as possible endophenotypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, such difficulties have not been consistently found in studies using standard neuropsychological tests. This has been partly explained by the complexity of these tests and the need to include contrast measures which control for more basic functions. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether difficulties related to inhibition and set-shifting in adult ADHD patients could be revealed by the Color Word Interference Test (CWIT) from the Delis Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS). A clinically recruited group of adults with ADHD (n = 60) obtained significantly lower scores than population derived controls (n = 60) on both primary summary (p < .001) and contrast measures (p = .004) of set-shifting. The differences between the groups remained statistically significant after controlling for intellectual function and working memory (p = .003). However, no significant differences between the groups were observed on any measure of inhibition. The study indicates that adults with ADHD have specific difficulties with set-shifting as measured by the CWIT, difficulties that probably also reflect problems related to executive function in their daily life. (JINS, 2012, 18, 1–10)

(Received June 28 2011)

(Revised February 22 2012)

(Accepted February 22 2012)

Keywords

Correspondence:

c1 Correspondence and reprint requests to: Helene Barone Halleland, Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, PO Box 7807, NO-5020 Bergen. E-mail: helene.halleland@psych.uib.no

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