Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to a deficiency of central catecholamines (CA) in cognitive, biochemical, and physical tests, and pharmaceutical intervention may have no effect if it is not accompanied by changes in the environment. The objective of our study was to test the hypothesis that central CA are responsible for the increase in speed reaction seen after physical activity (PA) and to measure the impact of high intensity PA on the sustained attention of 25 children diagnosed with ADHD consistent with the Disease Statistical Mental-IV (DSM-IV) criteria. It is possible that practicing sports assists in the management of the disorder. The children were divided between users (US) and non-users (NUS) of methylphenidate (MTP), and the groups were compared to evaluate the effect of the drug on cognition after PA. Post-exercise performance on Conner's Continuous Performance Test-II (CPT) was not affected by MTP, we observed significant improvements in response time, and we saw normalization in the impulsivity and vigilance measures. These results suggest that the improvements in cognition after physical effort are not CA dependent. Additionally, our results suggest that children's attention deficits can be minimized through PA irrespective of treatment with MTP. Additional studies are necessary to confirm that exercise mitigates the harmful symptoms of ADHD.

It is discussed that differences between samples probably reflect lack of ADHD screening of the U.S. children. More studies are necessary to determine if the CPT-II is a cross-cultural test with participants from different samples matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status screened for ADHD.

This study investigated the performance of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia using Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CCPT). The clinical groups were composed of 52 children with ADHD and 32 children with dyslexia. Performance in the CCPT was evaluated using ANCOVA to compare the clinical groups with the normative Brazilian sample. The ADHD group performed worse than the normative sample in almost all of the measurements, except for reaction time and response style. The dyslexia group scored higher on commissions, variability, perseverations and inconsistency in the reaction time over the six time blocks (Hit SE Block Change) than the children in the normative Brazilian sample. The ADHD and dyslexia groups differed in omission measurements, Hit RT SE, variability, perseverations, Hit RT Interstimulus Intervals (ISI) Change and Hit SE ISI Change. We thus found that the dyslexia group had specific deficit patterns, with greater response to non-target stimuli, greater perseveration and response variability, and difficulties in hit reaction time as the test progressed.Key words: Conners' Continuous Performance Test, child development, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, learning disorders, dyslexia. REsumo O presente estudo investigou o desempenho de crianças com transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDAH) e dislexia no Teste de Desempenho Contínuo de Conner (do inglês Conners' Continnuous Performance Test).Foram considerados dois grupos clínicos: 52 crianças com TDAH e 32 com dislexia. O desempenho no CCPT foi analisado por meio do teste ANCOVA, comparando os grupos clínicos com a amostra de normatização brasileira. O grupo TDAH teve pior desempenho que os controles em quase todas as medidas, exceto em medidas de tempo de reação e estilo de resposta. Já o grupo dislexia teve maiores escores em comissões, variabilidade, perseverações e inconsistência nas mudanças de tempo de reação no decorrer dos seis blocos de tempo (Hit SE Block Change). Os grupos TDAH e disléxicos diferiram entre si nas medidas de omissões, variabilidade do tempo de reação, perseverações, mudança de tempo de reação por intervalos interstimulus. Verificou-se assim que as crianças com dislexia apresentam padrões específicos de déficits, com maior resposta aos estímulos não alvos, maior perseveração e variabilidade de respostas, assim como dificuldades no tempo de reação conforme o desenvolvimento do teste.Palavras-Chave: Teste de Desempenho Contínuo de Conner, desenvolvimento infantil, transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade, transtornos de aprendizagem, dislexia.

-The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and neuropsychological findings in children with suspicion of attention deficity hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The assessment involved 150 children aged 7 to 14 referred to NANI at UNIFESP. Results: 75 children (55 M and 20 F) fulfilled the criteria for ADHD, among which 35 were of the inattentive type, 28 of combined type and 12 were hyperactive/impulsive. There was negative correlation between the digit score and the Corsi test. Children with hyperactivity and impulsivity had a low performance for functional memory. Children with oppositional defiant disorder presented pattern changes in adaptability when there was a change in the rhythm the stimuli were presented and lower adaptation to time variability (Hit RT), in addition to higher rates of omission in the continuous performance test. Conclusion: This study suggests multiple interrelations between the scores of neuropsychological battery useful for detailed delimitation of the clinical profile of children with ADHD.KEy woRDS: attention deficit disorder, children, hyperactivity, multidisciplinary, comorbities. perfil clínico e neuropsicológico de crianças com transtorno do deficit de atenção e hiperatividadeResumo -o objetivo deste trabalho foi delimitar indicadores clínicos e neuropsicológicos em crianças com suspeita de transtorno do déficit de atenção e hiperatividade (TDA/H). Foram avaliadas 150 crianças (idade de 7 a 14 anos) encaminhados ao NANI da UNIFESP. Resultados: 75 crianças (55 M e 20 F) preenchiam os critérios para o TDA/H, dentre os quais 35 (46,6%) pacientes eram desatentos, 28 do tipo combinado e 12 do tipo hiperatividade/impulsivo. observou-se correlação negativa com o escore de dígitos e no escore do teste de Corsi. Crianças com hiperatividade e impulsividade apresentaram baixo desempenho nas funções relacionadas à memória operacional. Crianças com transtorno opositor desafiante apresentaram alterações nos padrões de adaptação às mudanças do ritmo com menor adaptação às variações do tempo de exposição aos estímulos (Hit RT), além de maiores taxas de omissão no teste contínuo de performance. Conclusão: Este estudo sugere múltiplas interrelacões entre os escores em provas neuropsicológicas que são úteis para uma delimitação do perfil clínico de crianças com TDAH.PAlAvRAS-CHAvE: transtorno do déficit de atenção, crianças, hiperatividade, multidisciplinar, comorbidades. The attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most frequent neurodevelopmental disorders, with an estimated occurrence of 3% to 5% in schooling children 1,2 . Such oscillation is partially due to the heterogeneity and complexity of the required criteria for a precise diagnosis, which involves neuropsychological aspects as well as the delimitation of organic and neurobiological bases 3,4 . Environmental risk factors are considered fundamental in epidemiological studies on ADHD because socio-demographic variables such as the number of siblings, educational level of the family, comorbities with neuropsy...

OBJECTIVES: to compare the neuropsychological profile of eutrophic, stunted and chronically malnourished children, and to analyse the role of socio-economic factors on the cognitive development. METHODS: seven to 10 year-old girls and boys from a poor community in São Paulo were evaluated: 27 eutrophyc, 31 stunted and 15 chronically malnourished. Neuropsychological evaluation involved cognitive functions not fully assessed in this population, such as working, declarative and non-declarative memories, attention and executive functions. Socio-economic indicators, maternal mental health and the children's behaviour at school were also evaluated. RESULTS: malnourished children had a lower score on the vocabulary test than the eutrophic and stunted groups (p s<0.05), performed worse in the visuospatial working memory task (p = 0.01), were more anxious than the stunted (p = 0.006), and despite having lower average birth weight than eutrophic children (p = 0.01), only two children as had prenatal malnutrition. Stunted children exhibited no impairment. No differences in socio-economic variables were found among groups. CONCLUSIONS: chronic malnutrition was associated to impairment of expressive speech, visual-spatial short-term memory and increased anxiety. No effects were observed in intellectual abilities, executive functions, verbal working memory, long-term memory, nor in visuoconstructive function. Preservation of the latter cognitive functions can be attributed to adequate environmental conditions and the lack of overall prenatal malnutrition.