The person with high attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder traits (ADHD) that do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis are less able to perform tasks involving emotional control after a sleepless night than individuals with low ADHD-traits, suggest the findings a new study from Karolinska Institute published in Biological Psychofiatry titled Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging reports.
While it can cause multiple cognitive impairments, there is substantial individual variation in sensitivity to the effects of insomnia. The reason for this variability has been an unresolved research question for long. In the present study, KI researchers investigated how sleep deprivation affects our executive functions, which is to say the central cognitive processes that govern our thoughts and actions. They also wanted to ascertain if people with ADHD tendencies are more sensitive to insomnia, with more severe functional impairments as a result. ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is characterised by inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity; however, the symptoms vary from person to person and often also include emotional instability.
The study included 180 healthy participants between the ages of 17 and 45 without an ADHD diagnosis. Tendencies towards inattentiveness and emotional instability were assessed on the Brown Attention Deficit Disorder (B-ADD) scale.
Simple signs to look out if your child is dyslexic
