Abstract
Attention is one of the key factors in both hypnotic processes and patients with ADHD. In addition, the brain areas associated with hypnosis and ADHD overlap in many respects. However, the use of hypnosis in ADHD patients has still received only minor attention in research. The main purpose of the present work was to investigate whether hypnosis and hypnotic suggestions influence the performance of adult ADHD (n = 27) and control participants (n = 31) in the continuous performance test (CPT). The hypnotic susceptibility of the participants was measured by the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS:A) and the attentional task was a three minute long auditory version of the CPT. The CPT task was administered four times: before hypnosis (CPT1), after a hypnotic induction (CPT2), after suggestions about speed and accuracy (CPT3), and after the termination of hypnosis (CPT4). The susceptibility of the groups measured by HGSHS:A did not differ. There was a statistically significant decrease in reaction times in both ADHD and control groups between CPT2 and CPT3. The differences between CPT1 and CPT2, even though non-significant, were different in the two groups: in the ADHD group reaction times decreased whereas in the control group they increased. Both groups made very few errors in the short CPT. This study indicates that hypnotic suggestions have an effect on reaction times in the sustained attention task both in adult ADHD patients and control subjects. The theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
Highlights
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a developmental neurobiological disability characterized by deficits in attention and executive functions and/or symptoms of hyperactivityPLOS ONE | DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0126497 May 11, 2015The Impact of Hypnotic Suggestions on Reaction Times in continuous performance test (CPT) and impulsivity [1]
To investigate whether the reaction times in the ADHD and control groups differed across test conditions, a 2x4 rmANOVA was carried out
Our results indicate that hypnotic suggestions have an effect on reaction times in the sustained attention task CPT
Summary
The Impact of Hypnotic Suggestions on Reaction Times in CPT and impulsivity [1]. It emerges in childhood and often continues into adulthood. Current research suggests that there are alterations in structure and dysfunction in activity in multiple neuronal systems and networks [3,4,5]. There is evidence about alterations in activity in attention networks [3,7,8], default mode network [3,7,8], salience network [7], sensorimotor systems [3], affective network [8] and executive control network [7], and dysconnectivity of default mode network [9]
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