Dissociable Response Inhibition in Children With Tourette's Syndrome Compared With Children With ADHD

J Atten Disord. 2016 Oct;20(10):825-35. doi: 10.1177/1087054713512371. Epub 2013 Nov 25.

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates whether performance in a verbal response task (Color-Word Interference Test [CWIT]) and a motor response task (Conners' Continuous Performance Test [CCPT]) discriminates children with Tourette's Syndrome (TS), ADHD, and typically developing children (TDC).

Method: Nineteen children with TS, 79 with ADHD, and 50 with TDC participated (8-17 years).

Results: Children with TS committed significantly fewer errors in the verbal response task than those with ADHD. Moreover, children with TS but without ADHD performed better than TDC. Errors in motor task and speed of response did not distinguish between groups. A cautious tendency of response correlated positively with rates of tics in children with TS.

Conclusion: Children with TS were superior in inhibiting a prepotent verbal response; however, comorbidity with ADHD in those children negatively influenced performance. Results support the hypothesis that levels of inhibitory control distinguish children with TS, ADHD, and TDC.

Keywords: ADHD; Tourette’s Syndrome; executive function; inhibitory control; response tasks.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / epidemiology
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / psychology*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child
  • Comorbidity
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychomotor Performance*
  • Reaction Time
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Tourette Syndrome / diagnosis
  • Tourette Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Tourette Syndrome / psychology*
  • Verbal Learning*