Abstract
Objective:
Event related brain potentials (ERPs) is a noninvasive technique giving knowledge about neural activity associated with sensory and cognitive information processing. The aim of this paper is to review investigations which used ERPs technique in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Method:
Selected papers and books regarding to auditory event related potentials and ADHD are reviewed, and the results are summarized. Fourty four scientific paper, and four books are used to write this paper.
Results:
Smaller amplitude of P1 in children with ADHD compared to normal controls may reflect a problem with states of arousal related to locus cereleus and norepinephrinergic system. Smaller N2 may suggest that children with ADHD were not good at signal detection and discrimination. This situation may show a failure in frontal inhibition process. Especially, the effect of NE on alfa-2 receptors seems to be important in inhibition. Smaller P3 in children with ADHD may demonstrate a problem with allocation of attention and ineffective working memory updating. Prefrontal cortex possibly affects working memory function via GABA, dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine neurotransmitters.
Discussion:
ERPs studies which take confusing factors such as age, comorbidity, gender, and type of ADHD into consideration may provide both a better understanding of information processing in ADHD and insight into pathophysiology of ADHD.
Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, auditory event related potentials, P, P, N.
