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Increased Sensitivity to Perceptual Interference in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 March 2012

Alexander A. Stevens ,
Leeza Maron ,
Joel T. Nigg ,
Desmond Cheung ,
Edward F. Ester  and
Edward Awh
Alexander A. Stevens*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Leeza Maron
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Joel T. Nigg
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
Desmond Cheung
Affiliation:
School of Professional Psychology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon
Edward F. Ester
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Edward Awh
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Alexander A. Stevens, Department of Psychiatry, Mailcode UN80R1, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098. E-mail: stevenal@ohsu.edu
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Abstract

Difficulty with selective attention is a frequent complaint of adult patients with ADHD, but selective attention tasks have not provided robust evidence of attentional dysfunction in this group. Two experiments examine this puzzle by distinguishing between failures of spatial selection and problems due to sensitivity to perceptual interference. In Experiment 1, we measured the level of perceptual interference generated by targets in crowded displays with nearby distractors by comparing luminance thresholds in both distractor-present (noise) and distractor-absent (clean) displays. ADHD and control participants had comparable thresholds for clean displays, but ADHD individuals had elevated thresholds to crowded displays. These effects could be explained in two distinct ways. Deficits may have arisen from amplified visual interference in the noise condition, or from abnormalities in top-down attentional processes that reduce visual interference. Experiment 2 adjusted for individual perceptual differences with clean and noise displays, before measuring visual interference resolution at attended versus unattended locations. ADHD and control groups had comparable interference resolution at attended locations. These results suggest that perceptual interference rather than spatial attention deficits may account for some deficits in ADHD. This putative deficit in sensory function highlights a potential early-stage perceptual processing deficit in ADHD distinct from selective attention. (JINS, 2012, 18, 511–520)

Keywords

CognitionContrast sensitivityVisual crowdingPsychophysicsVisual cortexSpatial selective attention
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 18 , Issue 3 , May 2012 , pp. 511 - 520
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2012

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