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Abstract:
This study examined the Consistency Index (CI), a quantified
measure of electroencephalography (EEG), as a psychophysiological
tool for differentiating between boys with and without Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The CI, a calculation based
on Fast Fourier Transformation of EEG data, measures the neural
efficiency of an individual's brain when shifting between two
tasks. In 17 controls and 17 subjects with ADHD (ages 8-11), shifts
were measured between silent reading and performing two subtests of
the Torrance Tests for Creative Thinking - Figural Forms. The CI
discriminated between control subjects and individuals with
Combined-type ADHD and Inattentive-type ADHD (ADD). Data showed a
possible EEG profile of ADHD: differentiating percentage of theta
activity during active mental processing. IQ did not correlate with
the CI, although subjects with ADD and high-aptitude (mean Full
Scale IQ 134) had the lowest mean CI's except when shifting between
divergent thinking tasks. These data suggest a preliminary profile
of gifted children with ADHD illustrating: (1) they have a more
difficult time shifting than their gifted peers (MFSIQ 131) and
peers with average-aptitude and ADHD (MFSIQ 109) and (2) children
with ADD and high-aptitude display (MFSIQ 134) a particularly high
degree of hypervigilance.
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