A Neurodevelopmental Approach to Understanding Memory Processes Among Intellectually Gifted Children and Adolescents With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

摘要

Intellectual giftedness is associated with strong strategic verbal memory while Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with strategic verbal memory deficits; however, no previous research has explored how this contradiction manifests in gifted populations with diagnoses of ADHD. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore strategic verbal memory processes among intellectually gifted children and adolescents with and without ADHD to provide clarification regarding this specific aspect of neuropsychological functioning within this population. One hundred-twenty five children and adolescents completed neuropsychological evaluations including the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and California Verbal Learning Test, Children's Version (CVLT-C). Results revealed significant differences between groups. More specifically, one-way analyses of variance revealed that intellectually gifted children and adolescents with ADHD achieved lower T-scores on CVLT-C Trials 1-5 than intellectually gifted children and adolescents without ADHD, and intellectually gifted children and adolescents with ADHD achieved higher T-scores on CVLT-C Trials 1-5 than children and adolescents of average intellectual abilities with ADHD. Repeated measure analysis of variance revealed a main effect improvement among gifted children and adolescents with ADHD in short-delay recall when provided with organizational cues. Additionally, two-way analysis of variance revealed gifted children and adolescents without ADHD achieved higher scores on short-delay cued and long-delay free recall trials than gifted children and adolescents with ADHD; however, there were no significant interaction effects found. Findings revealed new evidence about the role of twice-exceptionality (specifically intellectual giftedness and ADHD) in strategic verbal memory, and have important implications for parents, educators, psychologists and neuropsychologists, and other mental health professionals working with this population.