Original scientific paper

THE MOST EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION FOR ATTENTION DEFICIT-HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER: USING CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE TEST

Sayyed Davood Meftagh ; Department of Psychology, Payame Noor University, Iran
Arash Najimi ; Department of Health Education and Health Promotion, School of Health, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
Norallah Mohammadi ; Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Ahmad Ghanizadeh ; Department of Psychiatry, Research Center for Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
Changiz Rahimi ; Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Mehdi Mohammad Amini ; Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

Abstract

Background: This study compares the effectiveness of three treating methods including behavioral mother training (BMT),
Verbal self-instruction to the children (VSI), and pharmacotherapy in children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
using the continuous performance test (CPT).
Subjects and methods: In this semi-experimental study, 51 elementary students were identified in a boys’ school in Shiraz (age
8-10) with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder in a pilot study (among 1760 students). They were randomly divided into three
groups; BMT, VSI, and control group. Moreover, 22 students were selected with ADHD among the clients in Hafez hospital. They
were chosen by the availability method and they were put into the Pharmacotherapy group. Data collection tools were the Child
Symptoms Inventory (CSI-4) and the continuous performance test. All of the groups were evaluated after the intervention and in posttest
and also 2 months later in follow up.
Results: The treatment type (group) showed statistically significant difference in the result of CPT on severity of attention-deficit
and in the number of correct responses (P=0.01), yet on the hyperactivity symptoms, there was no significant difference between the
different treatment groups (P=0.08). The time factor shows a significant difference among the different groups (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Comparison of the various treatments of ADHD indicates that pharmacotherapy can improve the severity of
attention deficit and the number of correct answers of children with ADHD.

Keywords

ADHD - behavior therapy - cognitive therapy – pharmacotherapy - continuous performance test

Hrčak ID:

162069

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/162069

Publication date:

17.6.2014.

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