The psychology of basic and social attention problems in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism is poorly understood – as are the brain regions or circuits producing these deficits. Problems with the ways that visual stimuli grab attention or with the ways that people voluntarily attend to places or objects may be core processes underlying dysfunctional attention in ADHD. In addition, disrupted attention to social stimuli is an attractive hypothesized cause of social problems in autism. Our study adapts classical attention experiments, by including social and non-social attention cues, to clarify the nature of basic and social attention problems in inattentive type ADHD and autism. Adults and children with inattentive type ADHD, autism, and no diagnosis receive a comprehensive clinical research evaluation and perform a behavioral task at a computer over several days (right now, we are recruiting inattentive type ADHD adults). The experimental conditions showing the most telling behavioral effects will then be used to develop fMRI imaging studies about brain regions implicated in ADHD and autism. These experiments should provide basic knowledge of the psychological and brain-based deficits in ADHD and autism and may inform designs of future screening instruments and potential interventions.

To be included in this study:

•We have a specific need for boys ages 9-12 years old and adult males ages 18 years and over with inattentive type ADHD (or ADD).
•No other psychiatric impairments or symptoms
•No neurological impairments or disabilities.

If eligible, subjects will be asked to participate:

As part of the screening phase of this study, you will be given a series of psychiatric interviews (administered by a trained interviewer) and questionnaires.

If eligible, you perform (a) simple task(s) that requires you to view pictures (e.g., circles on a computer screen). You will be instructed to respond to these as quickly and/or as accurately as possible in order to observe your ability to pay attention, to tell differences between, and/or respond to various problems.  During the task subjects view a visual display and make reaction-time key presses for target stimuli (the task demands are roughly equivalent to playing a video game). Subjects will perform 2-3 different ~30-45 minute task sessions over 2-3 different days.