A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD
In many studies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulus encoding and processing (perceptual function) and response selection (executive function) have been intertwined. To dissociate deficits in these functions, we introduced a task that parametrically varied low-level stimulus...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2018-10-01
|
| Series: | Computational Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/cpsy_a_00018 |
| _version_ | 1828144414227169280 |
|---|---|
| author | Andra Mihali Allison G. Young Lenard A. Adler Michael M. Halassa Wei Ji Ma |
| author_facet | Andra Mihali Allison G. Young Lenard A. Adler Michael M. Halassa Wei Ji Ma |
| author_sort | Andra Mihali |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In many studies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulus encoding and processing (perceptual function) and response selection (executive function) have been intertwined. To dissociate deficits in these functions, we introduced a task that parametrically varied low-level stimulus features (orientation and color) for fine-grained analysis of perceptual function. It also required participants to switch their attention between feature dimensions on a trial-by-trial basis, thus taxing executive processes. Furthermore, we used a response paradigm that captured task-irrelevant motor output (TIMO), reflecting failures to use the correct stimulus-response rule. ADHD participants had substantially higher perceptual variability than controls, especially for orientation, as well as higher TIMO. In both ADHD and controls, TIMO was strongly affected by the switch manipulation. Across participants, the perceptual variability parameter was correlated with TIMO, suggesting that perceptual deficits are associated with executive function deficits. Based on perceptual variability alone, we were able to classify participants into ADHD and controls with a mean accuracy of about 77%. Participants’ self-reported General Executive Composite score correlated not only with TIMO but also with the perceptual variability parameter. Our results highlight the role of perceptual deficits in ADHD and the usefulness of computational modeling of behavior in dissociating perceptual from executive processes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:15:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-72126f12174747e597904849a43c02fe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2379-6227 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:15:59Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Computational Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-72126f12174747e597904849a43c02fe2022-12-22T04:04:59ZengUbiquity PressComputational Psychiatry2379-62272018-10-01214116310.1162/cpsy_a_00018cpsy_a_00018A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHDAndra Mihali0Allison G. Young1Lenard A. Adler2Michael M. Halassa3Wei Ji Ma4Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USADepartment of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USADepartment of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, New York, USADepartment of Brain and Cognitive Science, MIT, Boston, Massachusetts, USACenter for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York, USAIn many studies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), stimulus encoding and processing (perceptual function) and response selection (executive function) have been intertwined. To dissociate deficits in these functions, we introduced a task that parametrically varied low-level stimulus features (orientation and color) for fine-grained analysis of perceptual function. It also required participants to switch their attention between feature dimensions on a trial-by-trial basis, thus taxing executive processes. Furthermore, we used a response paradigm that captured task-irrelevant motor output (TIMO), reflecting failures to use the correct stimulus-response rule. ADHD participants had substantially higher perceptual variability than controls, especially for orientation, as well as higher TIMO. In both ADHD and controls, TIMO was strongly affected by the switch manipulation. Across participants, the perceptual variability parameter was correlated with TIMO, suggesting that perceptual deficits are associated with executive function deficits. Based on perceptual variability alone, we were able to classify participants into ADHD and controls with a mean accuracy of about 77%. Participants’ self-reported General Executive Composite score correlated not only with TIMO but also with the perceptual variability parameter. Our results highlight the role of perceptual deficits in ADHD and the usefulness of computational modeling of behavior in dissociating perceptual from executive processes.https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/cpsy_a_00018ADHDvisual perceptionvariabilitypsychophysicsexecutive functiontask-switching |
| spellingShingle | Andra Mihali Allison G. Young Lenard A. Adler Michael M. Halassa Wei Ji Ma A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD Computational Psychiatry ADHD visual perception variability psychophysics executive function task-switching |
| title | A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD |
| title_full | A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD |
| title_fullStr | A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD |
| title_short | A Low-Level Perceptual Correlate of Behavioral and Clinical Deficits in ADHD |
| title_sort | low level perceptual correlate of behavioral and clinical deficits in adhd |
| topic | ADHD visual perception variability psychophysics executive function task-switching |
| url | https://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/cpsy_a_00018 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andramihali alowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT allisongyoung alowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT lenardaadler alowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT michaelmhalassa alowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT weijima alowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT andramihali lowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT allisongyoung lowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT lenardaadler lowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT michaelmhalassa lowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd AT weijima lowlevelperceptualcorrelateofbehavioralandclinicaldeficitsinadhd |