ADHD is a developmental disorder with high prevalence among Puerto Rican children. Research evidence suggests that higher order cognitive processes known as executive function are impaired in this disorder. Recently, Barkley has advanced the theory that the fundamental deficit in ADHD is the inability to inhibit or delay prepotent or dominant responses to an event, which in turn disrupts executive functions that are crucial in the development of self-regulation of behavior. Elaborating on Barkley's theory and supporting research, Tannock and Schachar have proposed that the core systems of ADHD and the difficulties in language use exhibited by children with the disorder are related to deficits in the executive functions. These authors recognize that executive functions and language go through developmental changes. Their work allows us to set forward predictions regarding deficits in specific executive functions and language abilities in ADHD, as well as developmental delays in both domains. We propose a cross sectional design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis to study executive functions and language abilities in ADHD (n=90) and normal (n=90) children of three different age-groups (6-7, 8-9, 10-11 years). Specifically, our study is aimed to: (1) determine the extent to which the combined Type of ADHD differs from a normal control group in the following domains of executive and non- executive functions: response inhibition; internalization of speech (verbal working memory); non-verbal fluency), and language abilities; 2) to evaluate the hypothesis of whether ADHD constitutes a developmental delay by examining the manner in which the deficits in response inhibition, executive functions, and expressive language in ADHD change as a function of development from years 6 to 11, in comparison to normal children; and (3) to examine the specificity of the relationship between expressive language and executive functions.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Resource-Related Research Projects (R24)
Project #
5R24MH049368-11
Application #
6658457
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1)
Project Start
2002-09-01
Project End
2003-08-31
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
11
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Puerto Rico Rio Piedras
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
San Juan
State
PR
Country
United States
Zip Code
00931
Pérez-Jiménez, David; Seal, David Wyatt; Ronis, David L (2014) A Pilot Intervention to Promote Safer Sex in Heterosexual Puerto Rican Couples. Couple Family Psychol 3:193-206
Reyes-Rodriguez, Mae Lynn; Rivera-Medina, Carmen L; Camara-Fuentes, Luis et al. (2013) Depression symptoms and stressful life events among college students in Puerto Rico. J Affect Disord 145:324-30
Pérez-Jiménez, David; Orengo-Aguayo, Rosaura E (2012) Rev Puertorriquena Psicol 23:48-61
Bauermeister, José J; Barkley, Russell A; Bauermeister, José A et al. (2012) Validity of the sluggish cognitive tempo, inattention, and hyperactivity symptom dimensions: neuropsychological and psychosocial correlates. J Abnorm Child Psychol 40:683-97
Pérez-Jiménez, David; Orengo-Aguayo, Rosaura E (2011) Qualitative analysis of an educational intervention with HIV-discordant heterosexual Latino couples. P R Health Sci J 30:188-94
Rivera-Medina, Carmen L; Caraballo, José Noel; Rodríguez-Cordero, Elí R et al. (2010) Factor structure of the CES-D and measurement invariance across gender for low-income Puerto Ricans in a probability sample. J Consult Clin Psychol 78:398-408
Hernandez-Hernandez, Alberto L; Perez-Jimenez, David (2010) [Barriers and Facilitators in the Recruitment and Retention of Heterosexual Couples for Preventive Interventions.] Interam J Psychol 44:19-27
Pérez-Jiménez, David; Escabí Montalvo, Aracelis; Del Carmen Cabrera Aponte, María (2010) Desarrollo de una intervención grupal para la prevención del VIH en parejas heterosexuales. Rev Puertorriquena Psicol 21:7-34
Santiago-Rivas, Marimer; Perez-Jimenez, David (2009) Modeling HIV Prevention Strategies among Two Puerto Rican Samples. Interam J Psychol 43:333-339
Perez-Jimenez, David; Seal, David W; Serrano-Garcia, Irma (2009) Barriers and facilitators of HIV prevention with heterosexual Latino couples: beliefs of four stakeholder groups. Cultur Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 15:11-7

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