TY - JOUR
T1 - Visuospatial Working Memory in ADHD Patients, Unaffected Siblings, and Healthy Controls
AU - van Ewijk, H.
AU - Heslenfeld, D.J.
AU - Luman, M.
AU - Rommelse, N.N.
AU - Hartman, C.A.
AU - Hoekstra, P.
AU - Franke, B.
AU - Buitelaar, J.K.
AU - Oosterlaan, J.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Objective: The aim of this study was to (a) test the usefulness of visuospatial working memory (VSWM) as an endophenotype for ADHD and (b) study the developmental trajectory of VSWM in ADHD. Method: A total of 110 ADHD patients, 60 unaffected siblings, and 109 controls, aged 8 to 29 years, were assessed on VSWM functioning. Multilevel analyses were carried out to account for the correlation between measurements within families. Results: ADHD patients showed impaired VSWM performance compared with unaffected siblings and controls, with comparable performance between unaffected siblings and controls. Impaired VSWM in ADHD patients was not more pronounced on higher memory loads, signifying executive rather than storage deficits as an underlying mechanism. ADHD patients, unaffected siblings, and controls showed parallel developmental trajectories of VSWM. Conclusion: Current findings question the usefulness of VSWM as a neurocognitive endophenotype for ADHD and provide unique insights into the developmental trajectory of VSWM in ADHD. © 2013 SAGE Publications.
AB - Objective: The aim of this study was to (a) test the usefulness of visuospatial working memory (VSWM) as an endophenotype for ADHD and (b) study the developmental trajectory of VSWM in ADHD. Method: A total of 110 ADHD patients, 60 unaffected siblings, and 109 controls, aged 8 to 29 years, were assessed on VSWM functioning. Multilevel analyses were carried out to account for the correlation between measurements within families. Results: ADHD patients showed impaired VSWM performance compared with unaffected siblings and controls, with comparable performance between unaffected siblings and controls. Impaired VSWM in ADHD patients was not more pronounced on higher memory loads, signifying executive rather than storage deficits as an underlying mechanism. ADHD patients, unaffected siblings, and controls showed parallel developmental trajectories of VSWM. Conclusion: Current findings question the usefulness of VSWM as a neurocognitive endophenotype for ADHD and provide unique insights into the developmental trajectory of VSWM in ADHD. © 2013 SAGE Publications.
U2 - 10.1177/1087054713482582
DO - 10.1177/1087054713482582
M3 - Article
SN - 1087-0547
VL - 2014
SP - 369
EP - 378
JO - Journal of Attention Disorders
JF - Journal of Attention Disorders
IS - 18
M1 - 4
ER -