Recognition memory for pictures in children with ADHD: an event-related potential study

Abstract

Objective

Children with ADHD are reported to accompany by various degrees of recognition memory cognitive deficits. We aimed to investigate age-related changes of the amplitude in event-related potential recordings on recognition memory in Chinese children with ADHD and to provide theoretical basis of neuro-electrophysiology for the cognition development of children

Method

ERP and behavioral data of 6- to -10-year-old children with ADHD (n = 94) and typically developing controls (TD, n = 96) were collected while the children performed a classical visual study-test paradigm task.

Results

Children with ADHD have defects in pictures recognition and showed a significantly smaller P2 component than that of TD children. The development of P2 and P3 component were different between the two groups. Moreover, the TD children showed the frontal old/new effect (N2) taken as a correlate of familiarity at 6 years old, and a parietal old/new effect (P3) taken as a correlate of recollection at 9 years old, while children with ADHD showed a parietal old/new effect (P3) only at 6 years old.

Conclusion

Our study provided the novel evidence that recognition memory follow different developmental trajectories at the age of 6–10 between TD and ADHD.

Keywords:

• ADHD
• recognition memory
• age-related changes
• ERP
• old/new effects

Disclosure statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by grants from Changzhou Bureau of science and technology (Grant No. CJ20190031), and Changzhou Health Young Talents Training Project, project No. CZQM2020106.