Author(s)

Jane W. Couperus, Brittany R. Alperin, Dylan Furlong, Katherine Mott

Hampshire College, Amherst, USA.

This study examined the functioning of facilitation and suppression in visual selective attention in adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Electrophysiological data were examined in control adults and adults with ADHD during a cued visual spatial selective attention task where in addition to directing attention, the cue probabilistically predicted the presence of a distractor. Late activity following the cue (ADAN) showed attention modulation for all participants. However, only ADHD participants showed additional significant distractor anticipation modulations. Stimulus related activity showed modulations of early visual processing (P1) as a function of attention and anticipated distractor presence for all participants suggesting functional facilitation and suppression. Findings suggest functional visual spatial selective attention in adults with ADHD.

Adult ADHD; Event Related Potentials; Visuospatial Selective Attention; P1; ADAN

Couperus, J. , Alperin, B. , Furlong, D. and Mott, K. (2014) Visual Selective Attention in Adults with ADHD: Electrophysiological Evidence of Facilitation and Suppression. Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science, 4, 129-140. doi: 10.4236/jbbs.2014.43017.