Auditory and Visual P300 in ADHD Children with Higher and Lower IQ : Pilot Study

Objectives : Intellectual impairment in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with relatively severe cognitive dysfunction. This study was designed to investigate cognitive function using auditory and visual event-related potential P300 in children with ADHD with relatively higher and lower IQ. Methods : A total of 20 children aged 6-12 years with DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of ADHD-combined type were recruited. For 10 children with lower IQ (${\leq}$100) and 10 children with higher IQ (>100), auditory and visual P300 using oddball paradigm (target 0.2, standard 0.8, in probability) were employed. Results : No significant differences were found in P300 amplitude and latency between ADHD children with higher and lower IQ in both modalities. However, auditory P300 amplitude in the right parietal area (P8 electrode) was negatively correlated with verbal IQ in ADHD subjects (R=-.50, p<.05). Visual P300 amplitude in the left parietal area (P3 electrode) was positively correlated with performance IQ in ADHD subjects (R=.57, p<.01). Conclusion : This study suggests intellectual impairment, as evidenced by lower IQ, could not be associated with cognitive dysfunction reflected in event-related potential P300 in ADHD children. However, cognitive function reflected in intellectual subcomponents and P300 might be processed in a stimulus modality-specific and asymmetric pattern.