Objective To explore and compare the cognitive processing weakness of children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid reading disabilities (RD) (ADHD+RD) and children with ADHD only using the… Click to show full abstract
Objective To explore and compare the cognitive processing weakness of children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid reading disabilities (RD) (ADHD+RD) and children with ADHD only using the Das-Naglieri Cognitive Assessment System (DN:CAS). Methods Eighty-eight children with ADHD who visited the hospital for the first time from September 2021 to November 2021 and had a Full scale intelligence quotient (IQ) of ≥85 on the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children revised in China (C-WISC) were selected (Age: 6–12 years; Grade: 2–6). Based on comorbidity with RD and the subtypes of ADHD (e.g., Inattention dominant type, ADHD-I, Hyperactivity/Impulse dominant type, ADHD-H and Combined type, ADHD-C), these children were divided into the ADHD+RD group (n = 30) and ADHD group (n = 58) as well as the corresponding subgroups. Clinical data on gender, age, grade, IQ scores, and DN:CAS processing scores were compared between both groups/subgroups. Spearman's correlation test was used for correlation analysis of results of interest. Results No differences in age, grade, male-to-female ratio, verbal IQ, performance IQ, and full scale IQ were observed between the ADHD+RD group and ADHD group as well as the corresponding subgroups (P > 0.05). Children in the ADHD-C+RD subgroup had lower scores in Planning processing of DN:CAS than those in the ADHD-C subgroup (P = 0.040). However, there were no significant difference between the ADHD-I+RD subgroup and ADHD-I subgroup in Planning scores of DN:CAS assessment; The grade of ADHD-C+RD and ADHD-I+RD subgroups were positively correlated with the Planning scores of DN: CAS (r = 0.599, P = 0.030 and r = 0.508, P = 0.044, respectively). The grade of ADHD-C subgroup was positively correlated with the Planning and Simultaneous processing scores of DN: CAS (r = 0.409, P = 0.042 and r = 0.406, P = 0.044, respectively). Conclusion Our study confirmed that children of ADHD-C with comorbid RD have a more severe Planning processing weakness compared to children with ADHD-C only. Among the children of ADHD-C+RD, ADHD-I+RD and ADHD-C, such a Planning processing impairment may improve with increasing educational skills.
               
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