Examining the roles of cognitive flexibility, emotion recognition, and metacognitions in adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder with predominantly inattentive presentation.

Abstract

The evaluation of cognitive functions in Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is fundamental to improve the efficacy of therapeutic interventions. However, the role of specific higher-order cognitive functions in adult ADHD, including cognitive flexibility, emotion recognition, and metacognitions, remains unclear. Therefore, in the current study, we aimed to examine these three distinct higher-order cognitive functions among adult ADHD individuals. Forty patients with ADHD with predominantly inattentive presentation and 42 healthy controls participated in the study. The Adult Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder Scale (AADHDS), the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), and the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30) were administered. Results indicated that patients with ADHD had worse metacognitions scores, in specific subdimensions, relative to healthy controls. However, cognitive flexibility and emotion recognition did not differ between the groups. Moreover, the cognitive confidence subdimension of the MCQ-30 was found to be sole significant predictor in the attention deficit subdimension of the AADHDS. Our findings suggest that lack of cognitive confidence may contribute to ADHD symptomatology despite regularly functioning cognitive flexibility and emotion recognition. Therefore, metacognitions could be a suitable target to alleviate the severity of ADHD symptoms.