ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Temporal discounting (TD) describes how a certain reward is seen as less valuable the more its delivery is postponed. There are two main types of TD tasks, hypothetical and real, both of which use monetary rewards. Over the last few years, however, variants of these tasks have been adjusted to assess clinical groups of children showing impulsivity as found in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). OBJECTIVE: To review and discuss studies conducted over the last 10 years on the use of TD tasks in the assessment of pediatric patients with ADHD. METHOD: For this literature review, articles were non-systematically selected from PubMed, MEDLINE and SciELO databases to include experimental studies on the use of at least one TD paradigm to assess and distinguish ADHD and non-ADHD groups. RESULTS: Of the studies assessed, 76.19% used hypothetical tasks, followed by real tasks (28.57%), and, finally, tasks using different types of reward, such as toys or rewarding activities (14.28%). CONCLUSIONS: Although assessed in few studies, real and alternative tasks appeared to be effective in differentiating clinical groups and suitable for investigating hot executive functions in childhood.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Delay Discounting , Child , Humans , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
Abstract Introduction: Temporal discounting (TD) describes how a certain reward is seen as less valuable the more its delivery is postponed. There are two main types of TD tasks, hypothetical and real, both of which use monetary rewards. Over the last few years, however, variants of these tasks have been adjusted to assess clinical groups of children showing impulsivity as found in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objective: To review and discuss studies conducted over the last 10 years on the use of TD tasks in the assessment of pediatric patients with ADHD. Method: For this literature review, articles were non-systematically selected from PubMed, MEDLINE and SciELO databases to include experimental studies on the use of at least one TD paradigm to assess and distinguish ADHD and non-ADHD groups. Results: Of the studies assessed, 76.19% used hypothetical tasks, followed by real tasks (28.57%), and, finally, tasks using different types of reward, such as toys or rewarding activities (14.28%). Conclusions: Although assessed in few studies, real and alternative tasks appeared to be effective in differentiating clinical groups and suitable for investigating hot executive functions in childhood.
Resumo Introdução: O desconto do futuro (DF) é um processo no qual uma determinada recompensa é vista como menos valiosa à medida que sua entrega é postergada. Existem dois tipos principais de tarefas de DF, hipotéticas e reais, sendo que ambas usam recompensas monetárias. Nos últimos anos, no entanto, variantes dessas tarefas têm sido adaptadas para avaliar grupos clínicos de crianças que apresentam comportamento impulsivo, como no caso do transtorno de déficit de atenção/hiperatividade (TDAH). Objetivo: Revisar e discutir os estudos realizados nos últimos 10 anos sobre o uso de tarefas de DF na avaliação de pacientes pediátricos com TDAH. Método: Para esta revisão de literatura, os artigos foram selecionados de forma não sistemática nas bases de dados PubMed, MEDLINE e SciELO, de forma a incluir estudos experimentais sobre o uso de ao menos um paradigma de DF para a avaliação e distinção de grupos com e sem TDAH. Resultados: Dos estudos avaliados, 76,19% utilizaram tarefas hipotéticas, seguidas de tarefas reais (28,57%) e, finalmente, de tarefas com diferentes tipos de recompensa, como brinquedos ou atividades recompensadoras (14,28%). Conclusões: Embora avaliadas em poucos estudos, tarefas reais e alternativas parecem ser eficazes na diferenciação de grupos clínicos e adequadas para investigação de funções executivas quentes na infância.
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Delay Discounting , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
Temporal Discounting (TD) reflects a tendency to discount a reward more deeply the longer its delivery is delayed. TD tasks and behavioral scales have been used to investigate 'hot' executive functions in ADHD. The present study analyzed TD task performance shown by ADHD and control groups for correlations with emotional self-regulation metrics from two scales, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Children (ages 8-12) with ADHD (n=25) and controls (n=24) were assessed using material rewards (toys) for three types of task: Hypothetical (H); Hypothetical with temporal expectation (HTE); and Real (R). Between-group differences were found for the HTE task, on which the ADHD group showed a higher rate of discounting their favorite toy over time, especially at 10s and 20s. This was the only task on which performance significantly correlated with BRIEF metrics, thus suggesting associations between impulsivity and low emotional self-regulation, but no task was correlated with CBCL score. The conclusion is that tasks involving toys and HTE in particular may be used to investigate TD in children with ADHD and as a means of evaluating the interface between the reward system and emotional self-regulation.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Child Behavior/physiology , Delay Discounting/physiology , Emotions/physiology , Executive Function/physiology , Self-Control , Child , Female , Humans , Impulsive Behavior , MaleABSTRACT
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a definite behavioral pattern that might lead to performance problems in the social, educational, or work environments. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, the symptoms of ADHD were restricted to those associated with cognitive (attention deficit) and behavioral (hyperactivity/impulsivity) deficits, while deficient emotional self-regulation, a relevant source of morbidity, was left out. The etiology of it is complex, as its exact causes have not yet been fully elucidated. ADHD seems to arise from a combination of various genetic and environmental factors that alter the developing brain, resulting in structural and functional abnormalities. The aim of this paper was to review epigenetics and ADHD focused on how multidimensional mechanisms influence the behavioral phenotype.
ABSTRACT
O presente estudo investigou a correlação entre a velocidade de processamento (VP) e a atenção alternada em crianças saudáveis de 06 anos de idade, por meio da aplicação de testes psicométricos específicos. Foram avaliadas 28 crianças em curso do 1º Ano do Ensino Fundamental, tanto de escola pública quanto privada e igualmente divididas entre os gêneros. Utilizou-se o teste Matrizes Progressivas Coloridas de Raven; os subtestes do Índice de Velocidade de Processamento (IVP): Código A, Procurar Símbolos A, Cancelamento da escala WISC-IV; e o Teste de Trilhas Coloridas Infantil - forma 2 (TCC2). Os resultados evidenciaram correlação moderada negativa entre o IVP e o TCC2, não havendo diferença significativa entre os gêneros. Diante dos resultados, observou-se que a rapidez de execução em tarefas que avaliam VP se relaciona com redução moderada do desempenho em tarefas de atenção alternada(AU)
This study investigated the correlation between processing speed (PS) and attention switching in healthy children 06 years old, through the application of specific psychometric tests. We evaluated 28 children in the course of the 1st year of elementary school, both private and public schools as equally divided between genders. We used the test of Raven Colored Progressive Matrices; subtest of Processing Speed Index (PSI): Code A, Symbol Search A, Cancellation of WISC-IV; and the Children´s Color Trails Test - form 2 (CTT2). The results showed moderate negative correlation between PSI and CTT2, with no significant difference between genders. Considering the results, it was observed that the speed of execution into tasks that assess PS relates to moderate reduction of performance in attention switching tasks(AU)
