Year

2000

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

This thesis examined EEG differences in children with a DSM-IV diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and age-matched control subjects. An eyes closed, resting EEG was used in all seven studies. Absolute and relative power estimates were calculated in the delta, theta, alpha and beta bands, as well as ratio coefficients between frequency bands, and the mean frequency of each band was calculated in some studies. This thesis extended previous research via investigation of (i) differences between ADHD and normal children (ii) differences between subtypes of ADHD (iii) age related changes in the EEG of ADHD and normal children (iv) sex differences in ADHD and normal children, and (v) effects of comorbidity in ADHD. The major results were that, (a) EEG measures were found that differentiated between normal children and children with ADHD, as well as between the inattentive and combined subtypes of the disorder; (b) Age analysis indicated that the EEG correlates of the hyperactive/impulsive components of ADHD mature with increasing age, but the inattentive components remain more stable; (c) Sex differences were found in the EEG of normal children and between the ADHD groups. Overall, the most important of these results indicated that there are two independent electrophysiological components in ADHD.

Comments

Accompanying CD-ROM can be consulted with the hard copy of the thesis in the Archives Collection, call no. is 616.8589/3

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Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Wollongong.