It Takes Time:Vigilance and Sustained Attention Assessment in Adults with ADHD

Objectives: The present study compares the utility of eight different tests of vigilance and sustained attention in the neuropsychological examination of adults with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: Thirty-one adults diagnosed with ADHD performed eight tests for vigilance and sustained attention, spread over three assessment days. Results: Adults with ADHD showed cognitive impairments in most tests and test variables, even though their sensitivity differed greatly. No specific type of test variable stands out to be the most sensitive, and no evidence for a differential deterioration of performance over time was observed. Conclusion: This study underscores the role of vigilance and sustained attention tests in the assessment of adult ADHD. It is further concluded that summary scores over the entire test duration are sufficient, but that all variables of a test should be considered. Finally, we hypothesize that reassessment on a different day may benefit a more accurate clinical assessment of adults with ADHD, in order to adequately take intraindividual fluctuations and limitations regarding test reliability into account

Some Properties of the Computable Cross Norm Criterion for Separability

The computable cross norm (CCN) criterion is a new powerful analytical and computable separability criterion for bipartite quantum states, that is also known to systematically detect bound entanglement. In certain aspects this criterion complements the well-known Peres positive partial transpose (PPT) criterion. In the present paper we study important analytical properties of the CCN criterion. We show that in contrast to the PPT criterion it is not sufficient in dimension 2 x 2. In higher dimensions we prove theorems connecting the fidelity of a quantum state with the CCN criterion. We also analyze the behaviour of the CCN criterion under local operations and identify the operations that leave it invariant. It turns out that the CCN criterion is in general not invariant under local operations.Comment: 7 pages; accepted by Physical Review A; error in Appendix B correcte

Feigning sleep disorders – a call for research and clinical consideration

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Sweat it out? The effects of physical exercise on cognition and behavior in children and adults with ADHD:A systematic literature review

As attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequently diagnosed developmental disorders in childhood, effective yet safe treatment options are highly important. Recent research introduced physical exercise as a potential treatment option, particularly for children with ADHD. The aim of this review was to systematically analyze potential acute and chronic effects of cardio and non-cardio exercise on a broad range of functions in children with ADHD and to explore this in adults as well. Literature on physical exercise in patients with ADHD was systematically reviewed based on categorizations for exercise type (cardio versus non-cardio), effect type (acute versus chronic), and outcome measure (cognitive, behavioral/socio-emotional, and physical/(neuro)physiological). Furthermore, the methodological quality of the reviewed papers was addressed. Cardio exercise seems acutely beneficial regarding various executive functions (e.g., impulsivity), response time and several physical measures. Beneficial chronic effects of cardio exercise were found on various functions as well, including executive functions, attention and behavior. The acute and chronic effects of non-cardio exercise remain more questionable but seem predominantly positive too. Research provides evidence that physical exercise represents a promising alternative or additional treatment option for patients with ADHD. Acute and chronic beneficial effects of especially cardio exercise were reported with regard to several cognitive, behavioral, and socio-emotional functions. Although physical exercise may therefore represent an effective treatment option that could be combined with other treatment approaches of ADHD, more well-controlled studies on this topic, in both children and adults, are needed

[Poster on] Psychometric properties of the Dutch Empathizing and Systemizing Quotient

Introduction: According to the male brain hypothesis [Baron-Cohen, S. (2009), Year in Cognitive Neuroscience], individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by a low empathizing cognitive style. Empathizing is “the drive to identify another person’s emotions and thoughts, and to respond to these with an appropriate emotion”. Individuals with ASD, on the other hand may possess a relatively strong systemizing cognitive style, which drives them to analyse how systems work and behave, and to construct systems. This is regarded as an extreme male cognitive style. Internationally, the self-report questionnaires ‘Empathy Quotient’ (EQ) and ‘Systemizing Quotient’ (SQ) were developed to measure these cognitive styles. This study investigates the psychometric properties of the Dutch EQ and SQ. Methods: A community sample of 685 participants (270 males, 415 females) completed the Dutch 40-item EQ and 75-item SQ-Revised (SQ-R) as well as the 35-item Friendship Questionnaire (FQ). Factor analysis was performed, and internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity were investigated. Sensitivity of the questionnaires was tested in a group of males with high functioning ASD (n = 22). Results: A 3-factor structure of the shortened 28-item EQ was confirmed, with the scales: Cognitive Empathy, Emotional Empathy and Social Skills. The 1-factor structure of the SQ-R was replicated. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability was good, however the Emotional Empathy scale had low retest reliability. Convergent validity was demonstrated by 1) the typical sex differences on the EQ and SQ, and 2) positive correlations between the EQ scales and FQ as well as negative correlations between SQ-R and the EQ total and Emotional Empathy scales. The EQ scales and brain type, but not the SQ-R, discriminated males with ASD from males of the community sample with large effect size. Discussion: The Dutch 28-item EQ and the SQ-R are reliable and valid tools to assess a person’s empathizing and systemizing cognitive style. For autism, these tools are helpful in describing the subjectively experienced difficulties and strengths of the patient in processing social and non-social information. Especially the EQ scales provide additional information on the specific aspects of social information processing that are disturbed