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Cognitive effects of psychostimulant medication in hyperactive children

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Abstract

Hyperactive and normal children were given a test of selective attention (Stroop test) and a neurocognitive test sensitive to a functional deficit of prefrontal cortex (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test). Hyperactive children showed significant deficits on both measures. After a year of psychostimulant medication, the hyperactive children all showed clinical and neurocognitive improvement, but continued to show a selective attention deficit compared with normal children. The results indicate a dissociation between the cognitive processes measured by the Wisconsin test and selective attention as measured by the Stroop, and that the selective attention deficit is more resistant to psychostimulant intervention.

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Everett, J., Thomas, J., Cote, F. et al. Cognitive effects of psychostimulant medication in hyperactive children. Child Psych Hum Dev 22, 79–87 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707786

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00707786

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