Topographic Study of Auditory Event-Related Potentials in Normal Boys and Boys with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

Auditory evoked potentials were recorded from 19 electrode sites in 20 children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity and 20 normal subjects in a two-choice discrimination task. N2 and Nd were found to be significantly smaller in subjects with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity. The N2 abnormalities are discussed in relationship to the mismatch negativity component of the orienting response, poor discrimination of salient stimuli, neurotransmitter deficiency, and theories of “arousal.’Nd findings are related to findings from studies of cerebral blood flow in children diagnosed as having Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity. These results suggest a problem with both automatic (not under conscious control) and controlled (under voluntary control) processing in children with Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity.