INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #32 Working Memory Modality Discrepancies Within ADHD Subtypes Lauren Eisenstat, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States Nusha Kheradbin, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States Callie Ortega, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States Melissa Bunner, PhD, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States Category: ADHD/Attentional Functions Keyword 1: psychometrics Keyword 2: working memory Keyword 3: pediatric neuropsychology Objective: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequently diagnosed developmental disorder in children, impacting 8.4% of children in the US (Chang, Cimino, & Gossa, 2020). It presents variably and is categorized into three subtypes: ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-IA), ADHD-Hyperactive (ADHD-H), and ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C). This study aims to examine potential disparities in Digit Span (DS) and Picture Span (PS) scores between children diagnosed with ADHD-IA and ADHD-C. While previous research, such as that by Moura et al. (2019), highlighted working memory impairments in these subtypes, the current study adopts a more comprehensive approach by looking at modality differences within working memory. Discrepancies in performance can be identified across tasks utilizing all three Digit Span subtests and Picture Span from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). This nuanced approach, seldom seen in earlier research, aims to provide deeper insights into the varied working memory capacities and challenges between these subtypes. Ultimately, we seek to refine existing findings and pave the way for more targeted interventions. Participants and Methods: Subjects included 44 children (Age: X¯= 10.51 SD= 2.60; Handedness = 37 right; males = 23) with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who were seen clinically for evaluation at Austin Neuropsychology. 22 subjects were diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive Type (ADHD-IA) while 22 subjects had ADHD-Combined Type (ADHD-C). Dependent variables included the three components of Digit Span: Forward, Backward, and Sequencing, and Picture Span subtests. The independent variable was the diagnostic subtype. A one-way ANOVA was conducted for each dependent variable to determine if there was a significant difference in performance across the diagnostic groups. Results: There was no significant difference in performance on the Digit Span task as a whole when comparing children diagnosed with ADHD-IA versus ADHD-C (p=0.511). There were also no significant group differences in the DS Forward, DS Sequencing, or PS tasks (p=0.950, p=0.858, p=0.198). However, there was a significant difference in performance on the backwards component of Digit Span (p=0.003). The ADHD-C group had poorer performance on the Digit Span Backwards task, with a mean score of 6.16, compared to the ADHD-IA mean score of 8.14. Conclusions: This research adopted a more comprehensive lens to further understand the impact of modality differences within working memory in children with ADHD-IA and ADHD-C. The study finds that the modality, whether it be numbers and an auditory memory task or symbols and a visual memory task, does not significantly influence working memory performance in children in either subtype. However, there was a notable disparity observed in task performance on the Digit Span Backwards task, with the ADHD-C group performing less efficiently. These findings echo previous research, suggesting that a lower working memory capacity is a hallmark of ADHD across subtypes, regardless of discrepancies between tasks. Further research may be done to explore underlying neurological mechanisms that contribute to the variation in Digit Span Backwards task performance. Further, subsequent studies may consider utilizing a wider range of cognitive tasks with a larger sample to better understand the potential differences in auditory and visual working memory within children diagnosed with various ADHD subtypes.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #32

Working Memory Modality Discrepancies Within ADHD Subtypes

Lauren Eisenstat, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States
Nusha Kheradbin, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States
Callie Ortega, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States
Melissa Bunner, PhD, Austin Neuropsychology, Austin, United States

Category: ADHD/Attentional Functions

Keyword 1: psychometrics
Keyword 2: working memory
Keyword 3: pediatric neuropsychology

Objective:

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a frequently diagnosed developmental disorder in children, impacting 8.4% of children in the US (Chang, Cimino, & Gossa, 2020). It presents variably and is categorized into three subtypes: ADHD-Inattentive (ADHD-IA), ADHD-Hyperactive (ADHD-H), and ADHD-Combined (ADHD-C). This study aims to examine potential disparities in Digit Span (DS) and Picture Span (PS) scores between children diagnosed with ADHD-IA and ADHD-C. While previous research, such as that by Moura et al. (2019), highlighted working memory impairments in these subtypes, the current study adopts a more comprehensive approach by looking at modality differences within working memory. Discrepancies in performance can be identified across tasks utilizing all three Digit Span subtests and Picture Span from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). This nuanced approach, seldom seen in earlier research, aims to provide deeper insights into the varied working memory capacities and challenges between these subtypes. Ultimately, we seek to refine existing findings and pave the way for more targeted interventions.

Participants and Methods:

Subjects included 44 children (Age: X¯= 10.51 SD= 2.60; Handedness = 37 right; males = 23) with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who were seen clinically for evaluation at Austin Neuropsychology. 22 subjects were diagnosed with ADHD-Inattentive Type (ADHD-IA) while 22 subjects had ADHD-Combined Type (ADHD-C). Dependent variables included the three components of Digit Span: Forward, Backward, and Sequencing, and Picture Span subtests. The independent variable was the diagnostic subtype. A one-way ANOVA was conducted for each dependent variable to determine if there was a significant difference in performance across the diagnostic groups.

Results:

There was no significant difference in performance on the Digit Span task as a whole when comparing children diagnosed with ADHD-IA versus ADHD-C (p=0.511). There were also no significant group differences in the DS Forward, DS Sequencing, or PS tasks (p=0.950, p=0.858, p=0.198). However, there was a significant difference in performance on the backwards component of Digit Span (p=0.003). The ADHD-C group had poorer performance on the Digit Span Backwards task, with a mean score of 6.16, compared to the ADHD-IA mean score of 8.14.

Conclusions:

This research adopted a more comprehensive lens to further understand the impact of modality differences within working memory in children with ADHD-IA and ADHD-C. The study finds that the modality, whether it be numbers and an auditory memory task or symbols and a visual memory task, does not significantly influence working memory performance in children in either subtype. However, there was a notable disparity observed in task performance on the Digit Span Backwards task, with the ADHD-C group performing less efficiently. These findings echo previous research, suggesting that a lower working memory capacity is a hallmark of ADHD across subtypes, regardless of discrepancies between tasks. Further research may be done to explore underlying neurological mechanisms that contribute to the variation in Digit Span Backwards task performance. Further, subsequent studies may consider utilizing a wider range of cognitive tasks with a larger sample to better understand the potential differences in auditory and visual working memory within children diagnosed with various ADHD subtypes.