Avaliação neuropsicológica das funções executivas, agressividade e impulsividade, em adultos com diagnóstico de TDAH

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: ADHD is a psychiatric disorder marked by a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsivity with onset in childhood, where some cases persists until adulthood. The ADHD symptoms can interfere with a significant way on several aspects of patient life, generating difficulties in the activities of daily living. The etiology is multifactorial, that is, caused by interaction of many environmental and genetic factors. The ADHD diagnosis is essentially clinical, based on the diagnostic criteria of DSM-5. Several studies support the condition of altered executive functioning in patients with ADHD. The objectivity of this research was to evaluate the existence of executive function deficits in adults with ADHD, as well as to evaluate the levels of impulsiveness and aggressiveness of these subjects. METHOD: The methodology used was descriptive-correlational, inserted in a quantitative and transversal approach. The research sample consisted of two groups, being the group of 21 people with the ADHD (G1); the group of 19 people in the control group (GC), composed of individuals without ADHD. The subjects were matched by gender, age, schooling and socioeconomic level. The patients were aged between 18 and 50 years. The research location was the Neurophycology and cognitive behavioral rehabilitation center – NEUROPSI. RESULTS: The comparison of the means between the ADHD and control groups in relation to the variables of interest was measured by independent t test. The significance level established was 0,05. Related to Stroop test C, Digit Spam, Trail test A and B, IGT (Motor impulsivity and impulsivity by planning), WCST (Perseverative error and categories indexes), it indicated that there is no statistical significance between the ADHD group and Control group. However, related to attentional impulsivity (IGT), it indicated that there it’s a difference with statistical significance with ADHD group showing more average score related to control group when evaluated the global impulsivity. On the analysis, indicated that there is a statistical significance between the average scores of physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and general aggression, between the groups studied. In contrast, it indicated there is difference between the scores on ASRS scale on experimental and control group. The same way, there was difference with statistical significance when it was analyzed the ASRSB scale. It was noted that in both factors on ASRS A the ADHD group showed higher average. On the Brown scale, it indicated that there is a statistical significance average difference, in which the ADHD group showed medium score higher than the control group. CONCLUSION: In general, the implications of the present study did not provide significant differences in the field of cognition between the experimental group (ADHD) and the healthy control group, having as means the use of neuropsychological tests. On the other hand, the scales showed more sensitivity to identify problems in adults with ADHD. It was also found a difference with statistical significance, in relation to the attentional impulsiveness and hostility, with the ADHD group, indicating a higher mean score than the control group.