Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

EEG Coherence in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Features

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Until the advent of the DSM-5, the diagnostic systems excluded diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) and Autism in the same child. However, much debate exists surrounding the validity of this exclusion, with a number of studies identifying individuals who meet the diagnostic criteria for both disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate Electroencephalogram (EEG) coherence differences between two groups of children with AD/HD, where one group exhibited a high level of autistic features (AD/HD+), and the other was low on autistic features (AD/HD-). EEG coherence is a measure of structural or functional connectivity between different cortical regions of the brain. 180 age and sex matched participants, between the ages of 8 and 13 years, were allocated to the AD/HD+ group, an AD/HD- group, or a control group. EEGs were recorded using an eyes-closed resting condition and Fourier transformed to provide coherence estimates in the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands. The AD/HD- group had significantly elevated theta and beta coherences at short-medium inter-electrode distances intrahemispherically, and across all regions interhemispherically, in comparison to control subjects. Frontal and central/parietal/occipital delta interhemispheric coherences were also reduced. Conversely, in comparison to the AD/HD- group, children in the AD/HD+ group had significantly lower beta coherence at long-inter-electrode distances intrahemispherically, and across all regions interhemispherically. The current results suggest the existence of two independent disorders, distinguishable by their differing beta coherences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A. (1997). Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: Constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. Psychological Bulletin, 121, 65–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., Hajos, M., Dupuy, F., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2011). EEG coherence and symptom profiles of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 122, 1327–1332.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2002). EEG coherence in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A comparative study of two DSM-IV types. Clinical Neurophysiology, 113, 579–585.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2006). Age and gender effects in EEG coherence: III. Girls with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 117, 243–251.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2007). EEG coherence in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid opposition defiant disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 356–362.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., Johnstone, S., Hsu, C., Bond, D., & Wallace, M.& Magee, C. (2005). Age and gender effects in EEG coherence: II. Boys with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. C Clinical Neurophysiology, 116, 977–984.

  • Barry, R., Clarke, A., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2009). EEG coherence in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid reading disabilities. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 71, 205–210.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brereton, A., Tonge, B., Mackinnon, A., & Einfeld, S. (2002). Screening young people for autism with the developmental behavior checklist. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 1369–1375.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chabot, R. J., Orgill, A. A., Crawford, G., Harris, M. J., & Serfontein, G. (1999). Behavioral and electrophysiologic predictors of treatment response to stimulants in children with attention disorders. Journal of Child Neurology, 14, 343–351.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, T., Feehan, C., Tinline, C., & Vostanis, P. (1999). Autistic symptoms in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 8, 50–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., Irving, A. M., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2011). Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autistic features: EEG evidence for comorbid disorders. Psychiatry Research, 185(1–2), 225–231.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., Barry, R., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2002). EEG analysis of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid Reading disabilities. Journal of Learning Disabilities, 35, 276–285.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., Johnstone, S. J., Abbott, I., Croft, R. J., Magee, C. A., Hsu, C. I., & Lawrence, C. A. (2005). Effects of methylphenidate on EEG coherence in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 58, 4–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., Johnstone, S. J., Hsu, C. I., Magee, C. A., Lawrence, C. A., & Croft, R. J. (2007). Coherence in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and excess beta activity in their EEG. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118, 1472–1479.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., Barry, R., Dupuy, F., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., & Heaven, P. (2009). Childhood EEG coherence as a predictor of adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Acta Neuropsychologica, 7, 182–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke, A., Barry, R., McCarthy, R., Selikowitz, M., Magee, C., Johnstone, S., & Croft, R. (2006). The EEG in low IQ children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 117, 1708–1714.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Coben, R., Clarke, A. R., Hudspeth, W., & Barry, R. J. (2008). EEG power and coherence in autistic spectrum disorder. Clinical Neurophysiology, 119, 1002–1009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dupuy, F. E., Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2008). EEG coherence in girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Stimulant effects in good responders. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 70, 151–157.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dupuy, F. E., Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2010). EEG coherence in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Differences between good and poor responders to methylphenidate. Psychiatry Research, 180, 114–119.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ehlers, S., & Gillberg, C. (1993). The epidemiology of Asperger syndrome: A total population study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 34, 1327–1350.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Einfeld, S., & Tonge, B. (1992). Manual for the developmental behavior checklist. (primary Carer version: DBC-P). Sydney/Melbourne: University of New South Wales/Monash University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einfeld, S. L., & Tonge, B. J. (1995). The developmental behavior checklist: The development and validation of an instrument to assess behavioral and emotional disturbance in children and adolescents with mental retardation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 81–104.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Einfeld, S., & Tonge, B. (1996a). Population prevalence of psychopathology in children and adolescents with intellectual disability: I – Rationale and methods. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 40, 91–98.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Einfeld, S., & Tonge, B. (1996b). Population prevalence of psychopathology in children and adolescents with intellectual disability: II – Epidemiological findings. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 40, 99–109.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Frazier, J. A., Biederman, J., Bellordre, C. A., Garfield, S. B., Geller, D. A., Coffey, B. J., & Faraone, S. V. (2001). Should the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder be considered in children with pervasive developmental disorder? Journal of Attention Disorders, 4, 203–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gadow, K. D., DeVincent, C. J., & Pomeroy, J. (2006). ADHD symptom subtypes in children with pervasive developmental disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 271–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goldstein, S., & Schwebach, A. J. (2004). The comorbidity of pervasive developmental disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Results of a retrospective chart review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(3), 329–339.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gray, K., & Tonge, B. (2008). Screening for autism in infants and preschool children with developmental delay Australian. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 38, 1003–1010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howell, D. (1997). Statistical methods for psychology (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • John, E., Prichep, S., Fridman, J., & Easton, P. (1988). Neurometrics: Computer-assisted differential diagnosis of brain dysfunctions. Science, 239, 162–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marosi, E., Harmony, T., Sánchez, L., Becker, J., Bernal, J., Reyes, A., de León, A. E. D., Rodríguez, M., & Fernández, T. (1992). Maturation of the coherence of EEG activity in normal and learning-disabled children. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 83(6), 350–357.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Montagu, J. D. (1975). The hyperkinetic child: A behavioural, electrodermal and EEG investigation. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 17(3), 299–305.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murias, M., Webb, S. J., Greenson, J., & Dawson, G. (2007). Resting state cortical connectivity reflected in EEG coherence in individuals with autism. Biological Psychiatry, 62(3), 270–273.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, D. (2006). Theory of mind in Asperger's syndrome, schizophrenia and personality disordered forensic patients. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 11(2), 99–111.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neale, M. (1999). Neale analysis of Reading ability. In Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) press. Camberwell: Victoria.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunez, P. (1981). Electric fields of the brain: The Neurophysics of EEG. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robbie, J. C., Clarke, A. R., Barry, R. J., Dupuy, F. E., McCarthy, R., & Selikowitz, M. (2016). Coherence in children with AD/HD and excess alpha power in their EEG. Clinical Neurophysiology, 127(5), 2161–2166.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sergeant, J. (2000). The cognitive-energetic model: An empirical approach to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 24(1), 7–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, J. C. (1981). An introduction to the coherence function and its use in EEG signal analysis. Journal of Medical Engineering & Technology, 5(6), 279–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sinzig, J., Bruning, N., Morsch, D., & Lehmkuhl, G. (2008). Attention profiles in autistic children with and without comorbid hyperactivity and attention problems. Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 20(4), 207–215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Thatcher, R. W., Krause, P. J., & Hrybyk, M. (1986). Cortico-cortical associations and EEG coherence: A two-compartmental model. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 64(2), 123–143.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (1992). Wechsler intelligence scale for children, 3rd edition (WISC-III). Australian Adaptation: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich Inc, Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Witwer, A. N., & Lecavalier, L. (2007). Autism screening tools: An evaluation of the social communication questionnaire and the developmental behaviour checklist–autism screening algorithm. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 32(3), 179–187.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organisation. (1993). The ICD-10 classification of mental and behavioural disorders. Geneva: WHO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida, Y., & Uchiyama, T. (2004). The clinical necessity for assessing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) symptoms in children with high-functioning pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 13(5), 307–314.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

This research was supported under the Australian Research Council’s Discovery funding scheme (project number DP0558989).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain & Behaviour Research Institute and School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, 2522, Australia

    Adam R. Clarke & Robert J. Barry

  2. Sydney Developmental Clinic, 6/30 Carrington St, Sydney, 2000, Australia

    Rory McCarthy & Mark Selikowitz

Authors
  1. Adam R. Clarke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Robert J. Barry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rory McCarthy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mark Selikowitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Adam Clarke, Robert Barry, Rory McCarthy and Mark Selikowitz. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Adam Clarke and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adam R. Clarke.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of Interest/Competing Interests

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

Ethics Approval

All procedures performed in the study involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Consent to Participate

Written informed consent was obtained from the parents.

Availability of Data and Material

Not available due to the data containing medical records of minors.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Clarke, A.R., Barry, R.J., McCarthy, R. et al. EEG Coherence in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autistic Features. J Dev Phys Disabil 33, 583–598 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09760-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09760-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation