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Temporal judgments, hemispheric equivalence, and interhemispheric transfer in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

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Abstract

This study investigated temporal processing abilities, hemispheric asymmetry, interhemispheric transfer, and stimulant medication effects in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Pairs of light emitting diodes in a visual half-field display (i.e., bilateral and unilateral presentations) were presented to examine medication effects, temporal judgments, hemispheric asymmetry, and interhemispheric transfer in male adolescents with ADHD and matched controls on age and gender. Participants responded (YES/NO) whether pairs of spatially separated diodes were illuminated simultaneously. Stimulant medication did not have an affect on temporal judgments, hemispheric equivalence, or interhemispheric transfer. No group differences in temporal judgments in any of the paired conditions were revealed. Both the ADHD and control groups demonstrated hemispheric equivalence for temporal judgments. Unexpectedly, the ADHD group demonstrated significantly faster interhemispheric transfer times when compared to the control group. The overall findings indicate that the reported deficit in time perception among individuals with ADHD may be restricted to tasks that involve response inhibition, reaction time, and/or motor movements (e.g., replicate durations of stimuli by pressing a lever).

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Acknowledgements

We extend our thanks to the participants and their parents or guardians who took part in this study and to two anonymous referees who provided helpful comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. This research was supported by Research Services, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, Alberta, T2 N 1N4, Canada

    Lenora N. Brown & Joan N. Vickers

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  1. Lenora N. Brown
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Correspondence to Lenora N. Brown.

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Brown, L.N., Vickers, J.N. Temporal judgments, hemispheric equivalence, and interhemispheric transfer in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Exp Brain Res 154, 76–84 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-003-1641-z

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