Beckan's+Annotated+Bibliographies

1) Suskauer S., Simmonds D., Fotedar, S., Blankner, J., Denkla, M., Pekar, J., and Mostofsky, S. (2008)Functional magnetic resonance imaging, evidence for abnormalities in response selection in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: Differences in activation associated with response inhibition but not habitual motor response. //Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience// 20 (3) 478-493.

This imaging study examined the regional deviations in neurobiology and circuitry underlying the action of inhibition in a "classic go/ no-go" research design. Evidence was found indicating that there is an underlying neurobiological deviation in individuals with ADHD, as observed in fMRI imaging of the medial- frontal PFC. In this study, investigators employed 25 children who were diagnosed with having ADHD, between the ages of 18-13 years old. Controls were sex, age, and IQ matched, and all co-morbid conditions were exempt from the study except those with Operational Defiant Disorder (a somewhat typical age graded condition associated with normative adolescent development). Methods of this study emulated a "Classic Go/ No-Go" paradigm, in which children were asked to respond to colored visual stimuli by pressing a button (go for one color and no/go for another). fMRI imaging analysis evidenced "diminished recruitment" of circuitry associated with inhibition in motor, pre-motor, and medial-frontal PFC regions.

2) Dickstein, S., Bannon, K, Xavier C.,Milham M., (2006)The neural correlates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: an ALE meta-analysis. //Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry//. 47 (10) 1051-1062

This meta-analysis might examines the global regional similarities characteristic in ADHD, as well as those associated with inhibition, independently. This analysis provides a rich basis for which ADHD can be troubleshot in the classroom based on evidence of a true deficit in cortical regions found to be of importance in this analysis. For this paper, investigators collaborated to analyze 16 individual fMRI studies of ADHD subjects' regional activation. This meta-analysis provided statistically significant evidence that there exists cortical activation deficits in the Inferior Prefrontal Cortex, Medial wall Regions, and the Pre-central Gyrus. As such, associated structure:function relationships should be examined for the purpose of task modification, accommodation of students with ADHD, and alternative forms of measurement when necessary.

3) Daley D., Birchwood, J. (2010) ADHD and academic performance: why does ADHD impact on academic performance and what can be done to support ADHD children in the classroom? //Child: Care, Health and Development// 36(4) 2010

This important literature reviews ADHD and associated academic performance, as well as current educational intervention strategies. While it is not immediately associated with my area of interest, it will be quite useful in reviewing how ADHD and associated academic impairment is being addressed. Areas discussed are training working memory, one on one (peer) tutoring, strategy formation, task/ instruction modifications. The literature suggests that working memory training can lead to better response inhibition. Interestingly, there seems to be a relationship between inhibition and working memory, as there are many journals that address both simultaneously.

4) Gawrilow, C., and Gollwitzer, P. (2008) Implementation intentions facilitate response inhibition in children with ADHD. //Cognitive Therapy & Research// 32 (2) 261-280

This journal reviews a study that aimed to investigate the question of whether or not forming and implementing a specific intention in school- aged children, can have positive effects (response) inhibition. This translational research design also contends that combined behavioral and pharmacologic interventions might be the best route of intervention among children with ADHD. This might tie into BT-3: Designing the Learning Experience (modifications and additional learning goals for children with positive diagnosis for ADHD)

5) Imhof, M. (2004) Effects of color stimulation on handwriting performance of children with ADHD, without, and with additional learning disabilities. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (13) 191-198

This journal presented a thorough review of the hypothesized etiology of ADHD, as it pertains to Behavioral Inhibition as the focal point of the disorder. Setting the stage with a literature review characterizing evidence that there clearly exists a deficit in cortical activation in individuals with ADHD, this study highlighted many previous studies that aim to find a correlation between environmental stimuli and academic performance in reading, writing, mathematics, behavior, and especially- for the purpose of this review- graphomotor control. This study examined the effects of color stimulation in 66 2nd and 3rd grade students with ADHD. To eliminate confounds, any classroom with a student with ADHD performed the activities as typical classroom activities, and data was later analyzed using only those children with ADHD and age, gender, and IQ matched controls. This experiment called for students' cooperation in copying text that was presented using a projection screen on either white or colored paper. Two of these tasks were preformed by all classes one week apart; and in between color paper was used so as to limit the confound of "novelty effects." Measures were then taken of letter formation, alignment, neatness, slant, and spacing. As hypothesized, students with ADHD who were administered the colored paper to write on, demonstrated a global improvement on graphomotor skills.

6) Daley, D., and Birchwood, J. (2010) ADHD and academic performance: Why does ADHD impact on academic performance and what can be done to support ADHD children in the classroom? //Child: Care, Heath, and Development// 36 (4) 1-10

This journal presents ADHD with a starting point of the neurobiology of the disorder, theoretical foundations of underlying issues, and moves into a literature review of statistical analyses. This literature review presents an extensive collection of research statistics regarding cognitive achievement amongst primarily, school aged children with ADHD. The review addresses the severity of impact on cognitive achievement in numeracy, literacy, academic readiness, and developmental outcomes such as special education placement, graduation rates, and adolescent behavioral diagnostics (ODD, CD, substance abuse), and persistence of associated behaviors into adulthood. Academic intervention strategies that aim to tap into Executive Function are addressed from the same perspective of previously evidenced statistical analyses. Focus on 1:1 interactions is highlighted in this review, as well as peer tutoring and task modifications that have been evidenced as being positively correlated with improved academic outcomes. Emphasis is placed on not only the aforementioned strategies, but also the necessity of maintaining individualized functional assessments, parent involvement, and self monitoring for students.

7) Cauda, F., Giuliano, G., Federico, D., Sergio, D., Katiuscia, S. (2010) Discovering the somatropic organization of the motor areas of the medial wall using low frequency bold fluctuations. //Human Brain Mapping// 1-14

This journal provides insight to the regional functionality of the medial wall, which in previous studies has been characterized in those with ADHD, as having activation deficits. This fMRI study examined the somatotropic organization of the M1 motor area and found that there is a high significant correlation between the activation of the medial wall and body/ leg regions, as well as hand/ finger regions. In addition to this imaging study, which employed 16 healthy subjects, this journal provided a comprehensive metaanalysis of 28 other studies that also found the medial wall region to be heavily associated with hand and foot movements. The relevance of this study clearly provides insight to the delay in response time or graphomotor control that is frequently observed in individuals with ADHD.

8) Antrop, I., Buysse, A, Roeyers, H., and Van Oost, P. (2005) Activity in children with ADHD during waiting situations in the classroom. //British Journal of Educational Psychology// (75) 51-69

This journal addresses the function of "stimulation seeking behavior" commonly associated with etiological expression of ADHD. This study examined the effects of waiting versus non-waiting classroom environments among children with ADHD with temporal and non-temporal stimulation conditions. The experimental methodology was to execute the study in a naturalistic setting where stimulation seeking behavior is disruptive and can lead to off-task behavior, excessive movement, attention allocation issues, and ultimately lessened cognitive achievement. As hypothesized, the effects of waiting during and in between daily classroom activity is positively correlated with more anxious, restless, and vocalization behavior in the subjects with ADHD as compared to their matched controls. (This study presents the validation of Brain Targets 1-3 with regard to temporal and non-temporal stimulation and the necessary for activation of cortical regions associated with the disorder via environmental and interpersonal stimuli placement in classroom organization).

9) Barkley, R. (1997) Behavioral inhibition, sustained attention, and executive functions: constructing a unifying theory of ADHD. //Psychological Bulletin, American Psychological Association.// (2)1 65-94

This literature proposes that ADHD is essentially a "deficit in behavioral inhibition." The notion that inhibition is the core process that linearly delineates deficits in four principle executive functions is explored. A review of executive function deficits associated with ADHD gives rise to the construct that there exists a linear model of ADHD in which inhibition is the underlying developmental component to the proper functionality of working memory, internalization of speech, self regulation motivation arousal, reconstitution, and motor control. A thorough review of each component of the proposed linear model supports an evidenced based model that inhibition, working memory, motivation, and motor control are the most salient pieces to this model.