Comparing attentional skills in children with acquired and developmental central nervous system disorders

Abstract

Attentional impairments in children occur in the context of both developmental and acquired disorders involving the central nervous system (CNS) and may have implications for ongoing development, potentially impeding cognitive, educational, and behavioral functions. Using a continuous performance paradigm (CPT), this study compared attentional profiles of children with developmental and acquired conditions impacting on the CNS: (i) attention deficit - hyperactivity disorder (ADHD: n = 27); (ii) moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI: n = 41); (iii) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (n = 31); and (iv) insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (n = 39). A healthy control group (n = 46) was also examined. G..