Response Inhibition In Children Research Articles

The Development of Response and Interference Inhibition in Children: Evidence from Serious Game Training.

A serious game titled "Crossing the Jungle" was developed in this study to train children's inhibition skills using the Stroop task. The effects of inhibitory control on children were tested by a pre-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up test. In the control groups, children were asked to play a commercial game instead. In experiment 1, 48 participants chose either the training or control game voluntarily, whereas, in experiment 2, 44 participants were randomly assigned to either group. In both experiments, children exposed to the serious game demonstrated training effects from the Stroop spatial task and near-transfer effects from the Flanker task. However, transferring effects were not produced by the Go/No-go task. As a result, although the serious game "Crossing the Jungle" does not improve response inhibition, children aged 9 to 12 who play it may benefit from improved interference inhibition abilities. This provides evidence for the mutual independence of interference inhibition and response inhibition in children at this stage.

The effectiveness of a school mindfulness-based intervention on the neural correlates of inhibitory control in children at risk: A randomized control trial.

Interest in the applications of mindfulness practice in education is growing in the scientific community. Recent research has shown that mindfulness practice in schools may be beneficial for executive functions (EFs) which are abilities crucial for healthy development. The study of the effects of mindfulness practices on children's neural correlates of EFs, particularly inhibitory control, may provide relevant information about the impact and mechanisms of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in children. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of a MBI in elementary school children on the neural correlates of inhibitory control via a randomized controlled trial. Children from two 4th grade classrooms and two 5th grade classrooms located in a school identified as having low socioeconomic status in Santiago de Chile were randomly assigned to either receive a MBI or serve as active controls and receive a social skills program. Both before and after the interventions, electroencephalographic activity was recorded during a modified version of the Go/Nogo task in a subsample of children in each group. Additionally, teachers completed questionnaires of students' EFs and students completed self-report measures. Results revealed increases in EFs assessed by questionnaires together with improved P3 amplitude associated with successful response inhibition in children who received the MBI compared to active controls. These results contribute to the understanding of the ways in which mindfulness practices can promote the development of inhibitory control together with EF improvement, factors identified as critical for children's social and emotional development and positive mental health. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: This study investigated the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention in children from a low socioeconomic status school on neural correlates of EFs. Children performed a Go/Nogo task while electroencephalographic activity was recorded and completed questionnaires before and after a MBI or an active control program. Improvements in EFs assessed by questionnaires together with an increased Nogo-P3 activity associated with successful inhibition in children who received the MBI were found. The results could contribute to understand how mindfulness practice can promote the development of inhibitory control in children from vulnerable populations.

Response inhibition in children with different subtypes/presentations of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A near-infrared spectroscopy study.

Executive dysfunction in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is thought to be closely related to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, there is controversy over the activation of the PFC in children with ADHD. Differences could be related to the subtype. Meanwhile, no study to date has used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to explore the differences between subtypes. Thus, this study aimed to explore the activation of the PFC in children with different subtypes of ADHD during executive function task. Participants in this study include typically developing (TD) children (n = 28), ADHD-predominantly inattentive (ADHD-PI) (n = 39) and ADHD-combined (ADHD-C) (n = 24). To examine the executive function of ADHD, the Go/No-go task is chosen to assess the response inhibition function. The activation of PFC in all participants during the Go/No-go task was recorded by fNIRS. Meanwhile, behavioral data were also recorded. Both TD and ADHD children activated the right PFC [middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG)] during response inhibition. However, the range and degree of activation differed among these groups. Compared with TD children, those with ADHD-PI had a smaller extent of activation in the right PFC, and those with ADHD-C only had a tendency to enhance activation. In addition, children with ADHD-PI and ADHD-C had impaired activation of the temporal gyrus. Besides, compared with ADHD-C and TD, those with ADHD-PI also had impaired activation of the right precentral gyrus (PG), and the supplementary motor area (SMA). Compared with ADHD-PI, ADHD-C showed decreased activation of the right MFG. The activation of Ch34 (BA44, rPFC) in children with ADHD-PI and ADHD-C was negatively correlated with their clinical symptoms. The activation of the PFC in children with different subtypes of ADHD has both commonalities and differences. The degree of activation of the right PFC Ch34 in children with ADHD is negatively correlated with clinical symptoms. fNIRS could be served as a candidate hemodynamic biomarker for the diagnosis of ADHD.

Martial Arts and Cognitive Control in Children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Children Born Very Preterm: A Combined Analysis of Two Randomized Controlled Trials.

Very preterm birth and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with impairments in response inhibition that often persist beyond childhood. Athletes skilled in martial arts show a neurocognitive profile that is associated with an improved inhibition processing stream, suggesting that engagement in this kind of sport has the potential to reduce impairments in this cognitive function. We investigated the behavioral and neurocognitive effects of judo training on response inhibition in children born very preterm and children with ADHD by a combined analysis of two randomized controlled trials. In both the CHIPMANC ( n = 65) and JETPAC ( n = 63) studies, participants were randomly allocated to a waitlist or a 12-wk judo training program in a 1:1 ratio. At pretest and posttest, participants completed a Go/NoGo task, the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 and a physical work capacity test on a bicycle ergometer. During the cognitive task, event-related potentials (N2, P3a, P3b) were recorded via electroencephalography. The effects of the judo training were moderated by the study group. In contrast to children with ADHD (JETPAC), judo training reduced the commission error rate on the Go/NoGo task and increased the P3a amplitude in children born very preterm (CHIPMANC). No treatment effects were found for N2, P3b and physical fitness outcomes. The neurodevelopmental condition influences the cognitive benefits of judo training. Whereas judo may be ineffective in children with ADHD, children born very preterm can expect improved response inhibition due to a more effective engagement of focal attention to resolve the task-related response conflict.

Gaba and Inhibitory Physiology in Dominant Motor Cortex: Altered Moderation of Response Inhibition in Children with ADHD

Gaba and Inhibitory Physiology in Dominant Motor Cortex: Altered Moderation of Response Inhibition in Children with ADHD

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Intervention on Response Inhibition in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders

The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Intervention on Response Inhibition in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorders

Association between lack of functional connectivity of the frontal brain region and poor response inhibition in children with frontal lobe epilepsy

PurposeWe investigated the relationship between electroencephalographic (EEG) functional connectivity and executive function in children with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). MethodsWe enrolled 24 children with FLE (mean age, 11.0 years; 13 boys) and 22 sex-, age-, and intelligence-matched typically developing children (TDC) to undergo 19-channel EEG during light sleep. We estimated functional connectivity using the phase lag index (PLI) that captures the synchronization of EEG. We also performed continuous performance tests (CPTs) on the children and obtained questionnaire responses on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). ResultsThe average gamma PLI was lower in the FLE group than in the TDC group, especially between long-distance frontoparietal pairs, between interhemispheric frontal pairs, and between interhemispheric parietotemporal pairs. Gamma PLIs with long-distance frontoparietal and interhemispheric frontal pairs were positively associated with inattention, ODD scores, omission error, and reaction time in the FLE group but not in the TDC group. Conversely, they were negatively associated with age, hyperactivity score, and commission error. ConclusionsA lack of functional connectivity of the frontal brain regions in children with FLE was associated with poor response inhibition.

P.204 Behavioural and neural correlates of response inhibition in disruptive behaviour disorders

Background: Disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) are among the most commonly diagnosed disorders in childhood and adolescence with a prevalence ranging of 1% to 11% [1] . Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently comorbid with DBDs, with reported comorbidity rates ranging up to 30% [2 , 3] . While impaired response inhibition has been regarded as a primary deficit specific to ADHD [4 –8] , the relationship between response inhibition and DBDs independent from ADHD is less well established [4 , 5 , 9 –11] . Here, we investigated the behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition in children and adolescents with DBD without comorbid ADHD (DBD −ADHD) and DBD with comorbid ADHD (DBD + ADHD) in comparison with healthy controls (HC). Method: Event-related fMRI were available for 83 subjects with DBDs (8-18 years old, 16 females and 67 males, 58 with DBD −ADHD and 25 with DBD + ADHD), and 65 agematched HC (26 females and 39 males) while performing a performance-adjusted stop-signal task [12] . The fMRI data were preprocessed following ICA-AROMA protocol [13] and the subject-level analyses were conducted using a general linear model in FSL FEAT [14] . In the group-level analysis, F-test was conducted to determine possible between-group differences while controlling for sex, age, IQ, and scanning site by using an FDR-corrected cluster significance threshold of p = 0.05 with Z > 2.3. For every participant, the mean parameter estimates for all clusters showing significant group differences were extracted, and pairwise comparisons were carried out in R [15] . The task outcomes of the stop-signal task between the groups were compared by ANCOVAs, with sex, age, IQ, and scanning site as covariates, in R. To control family-wise type I error rate, Bonferroni-Holm correction [16] was applied to all pairwise comparisons. Results: Compared to the controls, the DBD-groups showed greater variability in mean reaction time and the DBD −ADHD also made more omission errors during go trials, while the groups did not differ in terms of speed of inhibitory control. During successful inhibition versus go trials, the DBD + ADHD group demonstrated increased activation in the right superior parietal regions compared to the other two groups. During successful versus failed inhibition, relative to controls, right frontal hyperactivation was shared by the DBD-groups while the DBD + ADHD group showed increased activation in the right parietal and left superior parietal regions compared to the other two groups. Further, bilateral parietal activation in DBDs were found to be correlated with ADHD symptom counts. Conclusion: Given that the groups did not differ in terms of response inhibition-related behavioral performance, right frontal hyperactivation shared by the DBD-groups could be associated with deficient higher-order processing of sensory information mediating stimulus selection and attention in the DBD population. Moreover, bilateral parietal hyperactivation in the DBD + ADHD group and positive correlations between these activations and ADHD symptom counts in DBDs suggest the recruitment of more attentional resources to maintain task performance at the same level as the other groups. Therefore, considering additional hyperactivation observed in the participants with DBD and comorbid ADHD, it is crucial to screen for comorbid conditions and take into account ADHD comorbidity in treatment of DBDs [2–11] .

Parental Family History of Alcohol Use Disorder and Neural Correlates of Response Inhibition in Children From the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

Youth whose parents have alcohol use disorder (AUD) are at higher risk for earlier initiation and greater magnitude of alcohol use, and have a higher likelihood of developing an AUD than their peers without parental history of AUD. This increased risk may be partly attributable to altered development of inhibitory control and related neural circuitry. This study examined neural activation during a motor response inhibition Stop Signal Task (SST) in substance-naïve youth aged 9 to 10years with and without parental family history of AUD. Baseline cross-sectional survey and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were drawn from 6,898 youth in the US-based Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Generalized additive mixed models were conducted to examine the association between maternal, paternal, and parental (both mother and father) family history of AUD with neural activation during successful and failed response inhibition. Family history interactions with sex and stratification by ethnicity were explored. Of 6,898 participants, 951 (14%) were family history positive for anyparental AUD. Paternal history of AUD was associated with greater activation for successful inhibition in the right medial orbital frontal gyrus, compared to youth with no family history. Maternal history of AUD was associated with greater activation for failed response inhibition among females in the cerebellum, compared to females with no such history. Parental history (both mother and father) of AUD was associated with greater activation during successful inhibition in the left paracentral gyri and left superior parietal lobule. Maternal history and parental history of AUD findings were accounted for by a family history of substance use disorder in general. All effect sizes were relatively small. Substance-naïve children with a parental family history of AUD exhibit greater neural activation in some regions of the fronto-basal ganglia and cerebellar networks when they successfully or unsuccessfully inhibit a response as compared to children with no such family history. This unique neural response pattern could reflect a compensatory response and may represent an inherent neurobiological vulnerability to risk-related behaviors in these youth which will be examined in future longitudinal analyses of this cohort.

Auditory and Visual Response Inhibition in Children with Bilateral Hearing Aids and Children with ADHD.

Children fitted with hearing aids (HAs) and children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often have marked difficulties concentrating in noisy environments. However, little is known about the underlying neural mechanism of auditory and visual attention deficits in a direct comparison of both groups. The current functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study was the first to investigate the behavioral performance and neural activation during an auditory and a visual go/nogo paradigm in children fitted with bilateral HAs, children with ADHD and typically developing children (TDC). All children reacted faster, but less accurately, to visual than auditory stimuli, indicating a sensory-specific response inhibition efficiency. Independent of modality, children with ADHD and children with HAs reacted faster and tended to show more false alarms than TDC. On a neural level, however, children with ADHD showed supra-modal neural alterations, particularly in frontal regions. On the contrary, children with HAs exhibited modality-dependent alterations in the right temporopolar cortex. Higher activation was observed in the auditory than in the visual condition. Thus, while children with ADHD and children with HAs showed similar behavioral alterations, different neural mechanisms might underlie these behavioral changes. Future studies are warranted to confirm the current findings with larger samples. To this end, fNIRS provided a promising tool to differentiate the neural mechanisms underlying response inhibition deficits between groups and modalities.

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童的反应抑制特点

注意缺陷多动障碍儿童的反应抑制特点

Development and Use of Alphabet Vigilance Test – Based on Indian Norms

Sustained attention refers to the attention process that allows us to focus on a particular stimulus long enough to complete a particular task. This study attempted to design and standardize a test to measure sustained attention and response inhibition in children – Alphabet Vigilance Test. For the purpose of this study, children were divided into three age categories, 5-7 years, 8-11 years and 12-15 years (age mean and SD). A minimum sample of 30 boys and 30 girls for each age category were administered this test. The time taken to complete the test (vigilance) and errors committed (response inhibition) was noted down. The data was statistically analysed with descriptive means and percentile analysis to develop norms of performance ranging from the 5th percentile to the 95th percentile, along with‘t’ test to check for performance difference between boys and girls of all age categories. The scores and norms are discussed and elaborated upon, with limitations of study and suggestions for future research.

Functional brain correlates of motor response inhibition in children with developmental coordination disorder and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Motor impairment is associated with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), and to a lesser extent with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous functional imaging studies investigated children with DCD or ADHD only; however, these two disorders co-occur in up to 50% of cases, suggesting that similar neural correlates are associated with these disorders. This study compared functional brain activation in children and adolescents (age range 8–17, M = 11.73, SD = 2.88) with DCD (n = 9), ADHD (n = 20), co-occurring DCD and ADHD (n = 18) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 20). When compared to TD controls, children with co-occurring DCD/ADHD showed decreased activation during response inhibition in primary motor and sensory cortices. These findings suggest that children with co-occurring DCD and ADHD display significant functional changes in brain activation that could interfere with inhibition of erroneous motor responses. In contrast to previous studies, significant alterations in brain activation relative to TD controls, were not found in children with isolated DCD or ADHD. These findings highlight the importance of considering co-occurring disorders when investigating brain function in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Cognitive workload as the physiologic basis for symptom provocation with task performance in concussion: an fNIRS study of prefrontal brain activity

Cognitive workload as the physiologic basis for symptom provocation with task performance in concussion: an fNIRS study of prefrontal brain activity

The neural basis of deficient response inhibition in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: Evidence from a functional MRI study

Impaired response inhibition is a predominant feature of several neuropsychiatric disorders; in general the underlying aetiology of these disorders and associated impairments is unknown. The common occurrence of impaired response inhibition in a single gene disorder such as neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), provides a valuable opportunity to explore its mechanistic basis through the study of gene–brain–behaviour interactions. We used functional brain imaging with a Go/No–Go task to examine the neural substrates of response inhibition in children with NF1 and age and gender matched typically developing subjects. Children with NF1 were found to have abnormal activation patterns in several cortical regions, with significantly reduced activation in the inferior occipital gyrus (IOG), the fusiform gyrus/posterior cerebellum (FG/PC), the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Importantly, activation in the right IFG was associated with faster task reaction times and impairment in sustained attention in subjects with NF1. Our study supports the hypothesis that a network of regions typically associated with response inhibition is dysfunctional in children with NF1 and suggests this dysfunction is linked to cognitive impairment in this disorder.

Differential Recruitment of Brain Regions During Response Inhibition in Children Prenatally Exposed to Alcohol.

Response inhibition is a distinct aspect of executive function that is frequently impaired in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). We used a Go/NoGo (GNG) task in a functional MRI protocol to investigate differential activation of brain regions in the response inhibition network in children diagnosed with full or partial fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS/PFAS), compared with healthy controls. A rapid, event-related task with 120 Go and 60 NoGo trials was used to study children aged 8 to 12years-8 with FAS/PFAS, 17 controls. Letters were projected sequentially, with Go and NoGo trials randomly interspersed across the task. BOLD signal in the whole brain was contrasted for the correct NoGo minus correct Go trials between the FAS/PFAS and control groups. Compared to the FAS/PFAS group, controls showed greater activation of the inferior frontal and anterior cingulate network linked to response inhibition in typically developing children. By contrast, the FAS/PFAS group showed greater BOLD response in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and other middle prefrontal regions, suggesting compensation for inefficient function of pathways that normally mediate inhibitory processing. All group differences were significant after control for potential confounding variables. None of the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure on activation of the regions associated with response inhibition were attributable to the effects of this exposure on IQ. This is the first FASD GNG study in which all participants in the exposed group met criteria for a diagnosis of full FAS or PFAS. Although FASD is frequently comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the pattern of brain activation seen in these disorders differs, suggesting that different neural pathways mediate response inhibition in FASD and that different interventions for FASD are, therefore, warranted.

An ERP Study of Response Inhibition in the Auditory Domain in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies of response inhibition in children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) have used a visual Go/NoGo task to study the impact of prenatal alcohol exposure on response inhibition. No studies exist using auditory versions of the task; thus, it is unclear how the deficits observed in visual tasks translate into the auditory domain. This study examined ERPs using an auditory Go/NoGo paradigm in a sample of 35 school-age children-18 with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and 17 normally developing controls. Alcohol-exposed children performed as well as controls in terms of inhibiting their responses; however, their reaction times were significantly slower under the Go condition. As in the ERP visual Go/NoGo task previously administered to these children, group differences were seen in early perceptual processing, specifically related to stimulus discrimination, with a decrease in P2 amplitude in the alcohol-exposed group. The control group exhibited greater N2 amplitude in the NoGo compared to the Go condition while the alcohol-exposed group did not, suggesting a group difference in the neural substrates underlying conflict monitoring. The alcohol-exposed group demonstrated longer latency P3 with reduced amplitude, suggesting poorer allocation of attention. The alcohol-exposed group also exhibited a late positive component (LPC) similar to the one observed in the previous visual ERP study. This LPC may indicate compensatory neurophysiological function related to resetting of attentional control networks in preparation for the next trial. None of the ERP outcomes in this study were related to potential confounders which included cognitive and socioeconomic measures as well as ADHD diagnosis. The observed ERP group differences point to elements of perceptual and attentional processing likely to be involved in the performance deficits often observed in children with FASD. We also observed changes in ERPs related to conflict monitoring/response inhibition, highlighting fetal alcohol-related effects on how the brain responds when there is need to identify and respond to environmental cues by switching away from a prepotent motor response to an inhibited state.

Hyperactivity in motor response inhibition networks in unmedicated children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder

Objectives: Hypo/reduced activity in motor response inhibition (RI) cerebral networks was recently proposed as a promising specific neurobiological marker of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Before adopting such a pattern as a key diagnosis tool, we aim to replicate in an independent study the mechanisms underlying reduced RI-related activity in ADHD, after controlling for potentially confounding effects.Methods: In this fMRI study, we investigated the neural networks mediating successful and failed motor RI in children with ADHD and typically developing children (TDC) using the stop-signal task (SST) paradigm.Results: In contrast to hypofrontality predictions, children with ADHD exhibit increased neural activity during successful response inhibition in an RI-related brain network encompassing the indirect and/or hyperdirect pathways between the basal ganglia and cortex. Voxel-based morphometry analyses have further evidenced reduced grey matter volume in the left caudate in children with ADHD, which paralleled higher functional responses. Finally, connectivity analyses disclosed tighter coupling between a set of cortical regions and the right caudate as well as the right IFG, networks involved in successful RI.Conclusions: Hypo/reduced activity in RI cerebral networks in children with ADHD cannot at this time be considered as a systematic biomarker for ADHD.

Dissociable Response Inhibition in Children With Tourette’s Syndrome Compared With Children With ADHD

Objective: This study investigates whether performance in a verbal response task (Color-Word Interference Test [CWIT]) and a motor response task (Conners’ Continuous Performance Test [CCPT]) discriminates children with Tourette’s Syndrome (TS), ADHD, and typically developing children (TDC). Method: Nineteen children with TS, 79 with ADHD, and 50 with TDC participated (8-17 years). Results: Children with TS committed significantly fewer errors in the verbal response task than those with ADHD. Moreover, children with TS but without ADHD performed better than TDC. Errors in motor task and speed of response did not distinguish between groups. A cautious tendency of response correlated positively with rates of tics in children with TS. Conclusion: Children with TS were superior in inhibiting a prepotent verbal response; however, comorbidity with ADHD in those children negatively influenced performance. Results support the hypothesis that levels of inhibitory control distinguish children with TS, ADHD, and TDC.

Neural correlates of response inhibition in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A controlled version of the stop-signal task

The stop-signal task has been used extensively to investigate the neural correlates of inhibition deficits in children with ADHD. However, previous findings of atypical brain activation during the stop-signal task in children with ADHD may be confounded with attentional processes, precluding strong conclusions on the nature of these deficits. In addition, there are recent concerns on the construct validity of the SSRT metric. The aim of this study was to control for confounding factors and improve the specificity of the stop-signal task to investigate inhibition mechanisms in children with ADHD. FMRI was used to measure inhibition related brain activation in 17 typically developing children (TD) and 21 children with ADHD, using a highly controlled version of the stop-signal task. Successful inhibition trials were contrasted with control trials that were comparable in frequency, visual presentation and absence of motor response. We found reduced brain activation in children with ADHD in key inhibition areas, including the right inferior frontal gyrus/insula, and anterior cingulate/dorsal medial prefrontal cortex. Using a more stringent controlled design, this study replicated and specified previous findings of atypical brain activation in ADHD during motor response inhibition.