Abstract
This study examined EEG abnormalities in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We investigated EEG frequencies in 34 adults with ADHD and 34 control subjects. Two EEG readings were taken over 5 min intervals during an eyes-closed resting period with 21 electrodes placed in accordance with the international 10–20 system. Fourier transformation was performed to obtain absolute power density in delta, theta, alpha and beta frequency bands. The ADHD patients showed a significant increase of absolute power density in alpha and theta bands. No differences were found for beta activity. Our findings indicate that abnormalities in the EEG power spectrum of adults with ADHD are different than those described in children. Reliable discriminators between patients and healthy subjects in adulthood could be alpha and theta power density. Based on our results, we suggest further research involving longitudinal studies in ADHD patients to investigate the changes of EEG abnormalities with age.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
APA (2000) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Washington, DC
Barry RJ, Clarke AR, Johnstone SJ (2003) A review of electrophysiology in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: I. qualitative and quantitative electroencephalography. Clin Neurophysiol 114:171–183
Barry RJ, Clarke AR, Johnstone SJ, Magee CA, Rushby JA (2007) EEG differences between eyes-closed and eyes-open resting conditions. Clin Neurophysiol 118:2765–2773
Bresnahan SM, Barry RJ (2002) Specificity of quantitative EEG analysis in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry Res 112:133–144
Bresnahan SM, Anderson JW, Barry RJ (1999) Age-related changes in quantitative EEG in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biol Psychiatry 46:1690–1697
Bresnahan SM, Barry RJ, Clarke AR, Johnstone SJ (2006) Quantitative EEG analysis in dexamphetamine-responsive adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychiatry Res 141:151–159
Chabot RJ, Serfontein G (1996) Quantitative electroencephalographic profiles of children with attention deficit disorder. Biol Psychiatry 40:951–963
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (1998) EEG analysis in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a comparative study of two subtypes. Psychiatry Res 81:19–29
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2001a) Age and sex effects in the EEG: development of the normal child. Clin Neurophysiol 112:806–814
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2001b) Age and sex effects in the EEG: differences in two subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 112:815–826
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2001c) EEG-defined subtypes of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 112:2098–2105
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2001d) Electroencephalogram differences in two subtypes of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Psychophysiology 38:212–221
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2001e) Excess beta activity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: an atypical electrophysiological group. Psychiatry Res 103:205–218
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2002a) EEG analysis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disabilities. J Learn Disabil 35:276–285
Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M, Brown CR (2002b) EEG evidence for a new conceptualisation of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 113:1036–1044
Hermens DF, Williams LM, Lazzaro I, Whitmont S (2004) Sex differences in adult ADHD: a double dissociation in brain activity and autonomic arousal. Biol Psychol 66:221–233
Hermens DF, Kohn MR, Clarke SD, Gordon E, Williams LM (2005a) Sex differences in adolescent ADHD: findings from concurrent EEG and EDA. Clin Neurophysiol 116:1455–1463
Hermens DF, Soei EX, Clarke SD, Kohn MR, Gordon E, Williams LM (2005b) Resting EEG theta activity predicts cognitive performance in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Pediatr Neurol 32:248–256
Herrmann MJ, Mader K, Schreppel T, Jacob C, Heine M, Boreatti-Hümmer M, Ehlis A-C, Scheuerpflug P, Pauli P, Fallgatter AJ (2008) Neural correlates of performance monitoring in adult patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (submitted)
Hobbs MJ, Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2007) EEG abnormalities in adolescent males with AD/HD. Clin Neurophysiol 118:363–371
Janzen T, Graap K, Stephanson S, Marshall W, Fitzsimmons G (1995) Differences in baseline EEG measures for ADD and normally achieving preadolescent males. Biofeedback Self Regul 20:65–82
Kessler RC, Adler L, Ames M, Delmer O, Faraone S, Hiripi E, Howes MJ, Jin R, Secnik K, Spencer T, Ustun TB, Walters EE (2005) The World Health Organization Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS): a short screening scale for use in the general population. Psychol Med 35:245–256
Lazzaro I, Gordon E, Li W, Lim CL, Plahn M, Whitmont S, Clarke S, Barry RJ, Dosen A, Meares R (1999) Simultaneous EEG and EDA measures in adolescent attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Int J Psychophysiol 34:123–134
Lubar JF (1991) Discourse on the development of EEG diagnostics and biofeedback for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Biofeedback Self Regul 16:201–225
Magee CA, Clarke AR, Barry RJ, McCarthy R, Selikowitz M (2005) Examining the diagnostic utility of EEG power measures in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clin Neurophysiol 116:1033–1040
Matsuura M, Okubo Y, Toru M, Kojima T, He Y, Hou Y, Shen Y, Lee CK (1993) A cross-national EEG study of children with emotional and behavioral problems: a WHO collaborative study in the Western Pacific Region. Biol Psychiatry 34:59–65
Monastra VJ, Lubar JF, Linden M, VanDeusen P, Green G, Wing W, Phillips A, Fenger TN (1999) Assessing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder via quantitative electroencephalography: an initial validation study. Neuropsychology 13:424–433
Morgan ML, Witte EA, Cook IA, Leuchter AF, Abrams M, Siegman B (2005) Influence of age, gender, health status, and depression on quantitative EEG. Neuropsychobiology 52:71–76
Ward MF, Wender PH, Reimherr FW (1993) The Wender Utah Rating Scale: an aid in the retrospective diagnosis of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Am J Psychiatry 150:885–890
White JN, Hutchens TA, Lubar JF (2005) Quantitative EEG assessment during neuropsychological task performance in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Adult Dev 12:113–121
Acknowledgments
Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (KFO 125/1-1).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Koehler, S., Lauer, P., Schreppel, T. et al. Increased EEG power density in alpha and theta bands in adult ADHD patients. J Neural Transm 116, 97–104 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0157-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-008-0157-x