Qualitative Neuropsychological Assessment in Children with Attention Deficit Disorder

Backgrounds: The syndrome of attention deficit disorder is one of the most frequent types of disabilities in infancy. The present study analyses the results of fulfilment of tasks of qualitative neuropsychological assessment in Mexican children with and without diagnosis of attention deficit disorder.

Methods: The sample includes fourteen children with attention deficit disorder. The control group of sixteen normal children of the same age and the same social level took part in the study. All children assisted kinder gardens and their age was between 5 and 6 years old. Neuropsychological qualitative assessment was applied to all children in order to characterise functional features of execution of the tasks.

Results: The most significant differences between two groups were obtained for the functions of voluntary regulation of activity and spatial functions. Examples of fulfilment of tasks of neuropsychological assessment are presented together with some criteria for qualification of difficulties. Our results permit to obtain more precise clinical comprehension of syndrome of attention deficit disorder from neuropsychological point of view.

Discussion: Our discussion establishes the necessity of concrete qualitative interpretation of results of neuropsychological assessment according to the concept of brain mechanisms considered in neuropsychology.