Two forms of implicit learning in childhood ADHD

Dev Neuropsychol. 2010;35(5):494-505. doi: 10.1080/87565641.2010.494750.

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity mediated by frontal-striatal-cerebellar dysfunction. These circuits support implicit learning of perceptual-motor sequences but not visual-spatial context. ADHD and control children performed the Alternating Serial Reaction Time (ASRT) task, a measure of sequence learning, and the Contextual Cueing (CC) task, a measure of spatial contextual learning. Relative to controls, children with ADHD showed inconsistent ASRT learning but did not differ on CC learning. Thus, implicit sequence learning, a cognitive process mediated by frontal-striatal-cerebellar circuitry that is not under executive control, was atypical in ADHD.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Association Learning / physiology*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / physiopathology*
  • Child
  • Cognition / physiology
  • Cues
  • Executive Function / physiology*
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Serial Learning / physiology*