Impact of Distractors on Sustained Attention and Inhibition in Children With ADHD

Objective: This study examines the impact of visual and auditory distractors on attention and inhibition in children with and without ADHD. Method: The study used the MOXO d-CPT child version. The sample consisted of 208 children aged 8 to 12 years, including 64 with ADHD and 144 controls. Results: Children with ADHD and controls differed in their reaction to distracting stimuli; visual distractors cause a higher decrease in sustained attention and inhibitory control in the ADHD group. Moreover, auditory distractors generate improved performance in the control group but not in the ADHD group. In addition, age-related effects were found in both sustained attention and inhibitory control in all children, regardless of whether the ADHD condition was present. Conclusions: The findings indicate that children with ADHD performed poorer compared to controls, and that distractors differently affected the performance of the two groups.