Neuropsychological assessment of memory in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder:: The role of executive functions

Introduction. There is an important agreement on the consideration of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as a condition characterized by neutrodevelopmental dysfunction of fronto-striatal dopaminergic and noradrenergic circuits with resultant executive deficits in cognitive functioning. Aim. To assess the existence of memory deficits in children with ADHD associated with a poor performance executive. Subjects and methods. We assess 14 children diagnosed with ADHD combined type and 14 controls matched on intellectual coefficient, age and level of schooling, in a neuropsychological evaluation protocol designed to assess executive functions and memory skills using Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Memory for Stories Test - Test of Memory and Learning (TOMAL)-, Complex Figure Text, Visual Selective Reminding Test (TOMAL). Tower of Hanoi, Memory Phrases Test (Siegel and Ryan). Digit Span (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised) and Tapping Test (Wechsler Memory Scale III). Results. The ADHD group showed deficits in the learning and free recall of verbal material, in procedural and working memory. No group differences were observed in the visual memory tasks. Conclusions. The results are analyzed in terms of difficulty in coding strategies, storage and search of information previously stored in the group with ADHD, at least for the kind of verbal information. These difficulties are associated with deficits in executive functioning.