Reduced prefrontal hemodynamic response in children with ADHD during the Go/NoGo task

The current study examined the hemodynamic response during the Go/NoGo task in children with/without attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using near-infrared spectroscopy, oxy-Hb and deoxy-Hb concentration changes in the frontal areas were compared during the conditions with/without inhibitory demand. Compared with typically developing children, children with ADHD showed significantly reduced activation during the conditions with inhibitory demand (NoGo-condition) in the frontal areas. However, no significant differences in activation during the conditions without inhibitory demand (Go-condition) were found between the two groups. The current findings revealed that children with ADHD exhibit an altered hemodynamic response specifically during response inhibition, but not during response execution, and suggested the clinical usefulness of near-infrared spectroscopy for the evaluation of response inhibition deficits in children with ADHD.