Characteristics of perspective-taking in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its correlation with executive function / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the differences between impaired perspective-taking and executive function in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD).Methods:From January 2019 to December 2020, according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, thirty-two cases of ADHD children aged 6 to 16(ADHD group) and twenty-six cases of typical development children and adolescents matched with age and intelligence (TD Group) were included. The response time and accuracy rate in dilemma stage and probe stage to self-oriented, maternal perspective-taking and other perspective-taking were measured using perspective-shifting task, and the executive function was evaluated by the behavior rating inventory of executive function (BRIEF). Repeated measurement analysis of variance was used to compare the difference of response time and accuracy rate between the two groups. Pearson correlation analysis was used to explore the correlation between the perspective-taking behavior characteristics and the BRIEF total score and subscale scores of ADHD group.Results:The total score and subscale scores of BRIEF scale in ADHD group were significantly higher than those in TD group (all P<0.01). The interaction between group and task type was significant during the task dilemma stage of perspective-shifting task ( F(2, 106)=4.365, P<0.05). Simple effect analysis showed that in other-perspective-taking task, the response time of ADHD group ((2 305.48±464.27)ms) was significantly longer than that of TD group ((1 971.13±462.95)ms) and the difference was statistically significant ( t=2.870, P<0.01). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the response time of ADHD group to other perspective-taking in dilemma stage was positively correlated with working memory, organization and inhibition index in EF ( r=0.401, 0.432, 0.342, all P<0.01). Conclusion:The ability of the perspective taking is closely related to impaired executive function, which seem to share a common neuropsychological basis.