Inhibitory Control of Attention: Difference versus Developmental Theory. Findings in Mild Intellectual Disability and ADHD

Claudio Grada,Eleonora Simoni

doi:10.4172/2472-1786.100076

Abstract

We investigate the relationship between inhibition and cognition in developmental age adding values for the understanding of EFs. The aim of this study was to examine the development of EFs by comparing children of different clinical populations: children with a Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) with atypical cognitive development and children with ADHD inattentive subtype with impaired inhibition development. Results obtained suggest that only a subgroup of MID has an inhibition deficit (not overlapping with ADHD). So, the data seemed to support the hypothesis that EFs, even when impaired, could follow different pathways of development, partially independent from intelligence. Moreover, our findings seemed to fit with the hypothesis that the diagnosis of intellectual disability include different neuropsychological phenotypes.

Highlights

Most international classification systems [1] describe Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) as a neurodevelopmental disorder involving general mental abilities with a strong impact on adaptive functions
The ADHD-I group had a lower score than the mild intellectual disability (MID) on the Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT-II) (Figure 1): omission (U=0; z= -2.51; p=0.006); hit RT (U=2; z= -2.19; p=0.014); hit RT (Std Error) (U=0; z= -2.51; p=0.006); variability (U=0; z= -2.51; p=0.006) and in CBCL 6-18 (Figure 2): attention problem (U=4.5; z= -1.57; p=0.058); ADHD (DSM-IV oriented) (U=3.5; z= -1.78; p=0.037)
There are no differences between the groups (ADHD-I vs. MID) on the thought problem scale (CBCL 6-18), and the only indicator in which the ADHD-I group obtained better scores was on social problem (U=3.5; z= -1.78; p=0. 037)

Summary

Introduction

Most international classification systems [1] describe Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) as a neurodevelopmental disorder involving general mental abilities with a strong impact on adaptive functions. According to the DSM-5 [1], intellectual disabilities involves a score below 65-75 (i.e. 70 ± 5), but the assessment of adaptive functioning is necessary to define a MID diagnosis: at least one domain of adaptive functioning—conceptual, social or practical—must be impaired. These three different areas of competence predict an individual’s ability to deal with daily life tasks. The conceptual domain includes language, knowledge, learning and memory; the social area refers to empathy, social judgment, communication skills and interpersonal relationships; and the practical domain includes self-care skills, money management, work organization and leisure

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