Abstract
The major goal of the current study was to investigate
the association between continuous performance tests (CPTs)
and the heart rate variability (HRV) of attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD) children. The HRV, specifically the 0.10-Hz component, may be
considered to be a psychophysiological index of
effort allocation (motivation): The less effort the subject allocates, the
greater the 0.10-Hz component. Results indicated that, compared to controls,
ADHD subjects had a greater 0.10-Hz component, which was associated with poor
test performance over time. Thus, using a psychophysiological
measure, we were able to confirm the clinical concept of ADHD from a
motivational perspective.