Inattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity in Deaf Children Are Not Due to Deficits in Inhibitory Control, but May Reflect an Adaptive Strategy

Frontiers in Psychology

Remedios López Liria¹  Pamela Ruiz-Castañeda²  Nahuel Gioiosa Maurno²  María Teresa Daza González²  Laura Fernández García²  Jessica Phillips-Silver³ 

[1] Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Medicine, University of Almería, Almería, Spain;Department of Psychology, University of Almería, Almería, Spain;Center for Neuropsychological Assessment and Rehabilitation (CERNEP), University of Almería, Almería, Spain;Growing Brains, Washington, DC, United States;

关键词: deaf children;    attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;    conduct disorder;    inhibitory control;    inattention;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.629032

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The present study had two main aims: (1) to determine whether deaf children show higher rates of key behaviors of ADHD (inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behaviors) and of Conduct Disorder—CD—(disruptive, aggressive, or antisocial behaviors) than hearing children, also examining whether the frequency of these behaviors in deaf children varied based on cochlear implant (CI) use, type of school (regular vs. specific for deaf) and level of receptive vocabulary; and (2) to determine whether any behavioral differences between deaf and hearing children could be explained by deficits in inhibitory control. We measured behaviors associated with ADHD and CD in 34 deaf and hearing children aged 9–10 years old, using the revised Spanish version of the Conners scale. We then assessed inhibitory control ability using a computerized Stroop task and a short version of the Attention Network Test for children. To obtain a measure of the level of receptive vocabulary of the deaf children we used a Spanish version of the Carolina Picture Vocabulary Test for Deaf and hearing-impaired children. Deaf children showed significantly higher rates of behaviors associated with ADHD and CD, and over 85% of cases detected with high risk of ADHD-inattentive type in the entire present sample were deaf children. Further, in the group of deaf children a negative correlation was found between receptive vocabulary and frequency of disruptive, aggressive, or antisocial behaviors associated with CD. However, inhibitory control scores did not differ between deaf and hearing children. Our results suggested that the ADHD-related behaviors seen in deaf children were not associated with a deficit in inhibitory control, at least in the interference suppression subcomponent. An alternative explanation could be that these behaviors are reflecting an adaptive strategy that permits deaf children to access information from their environment which is not available to them via audition.

【 授权许可】

CC BY