A New Spin on Spatial Cognition in ADHD: A Diffusion Model Decomposition of Mental Rotation

Aligning visual imagery to the operator improves geospatial situation awareness in a single-display 360-degree periscope concept

Technological advances mean that it is now possible to represent the entire 360° view of the horizon to a submarine periscope operator simultaneously, in strips on a single display, as opposed to the restricted view offered through a conventional periscope aperture. Initial research showing performance improvements for such panoramic displays is promising. However, that research has yet to consider the importance of alignment between the visual representation of the environment on the periscope display and the operator themselves (i.e. the visual field compatibility principle). Using a simulated periscope operator task, the current study assessed whether the degree of display-operator alignment influences periscope operator geospatial situation awareness (SA). Four increasingly misaligned display configurations and three different operator orientations (relative to simulated Ownship travel) were assessed. Trained novices (N = 83) were tasked with judging the position of contacts on their display by pointing a joystick at their "real-world" location to measure geospatial SA. Results revealed a strong influence of display-operator alignment on geospatial SA: an aligned display representing contacts in front of an operator at the top of the display and contacts behind an operator at the bottom of the display, produced better geospatial SA (faster, more accurate responses) than other, less aligned display configurations. Diffusion modelling indicated that greater display alignment improved geospatial SA by both increasing information-processing speed and decreasing the amount of evidence required to make decisions. We conclude that geospatial SA can be facilitated by panoramic designs that maximise the alignment of the display to the external world.

A computational account of conflict processing during mental imagery

Previous studies examining conflict processing within the context of a color-word Stroop task have focused on both stimulus and response conflicts. However, it has been unclear whether conflict can emerge independently of stimulus conflict. In this study, a novel arrow-gaze mental-rotation Stroop task was introduced to explore the interplay between conflict processing and mental rotation. A modelling approach was utilized to provide a process-level account of the findings. The results of our Stroop task indicate that conflict can emerge from mental rotation in the absence of stimulus conflict. The strength of this imagery conflict effect decreases and even reverses as mental rotation angles increase. Additionally, it was observed that participants responded more quickly and with greater accuracy to small rather than large face orientations. A comparison of three conflict diffusion models-the diffusion model for conflict tasks (DMC), the dual-stage two-phase model (DSTP), and the shrinking spotlight model (SSP)-yielded consistent support for the DSTP over the DMC and SSP in the majority of instances. The DSTP account of the experimental results revealed an increased nondecision time with increasing mental rotation, a reduction in interference from incompatible stimuli, and an improved drift rate in response selection phase, which suggests enhanced cognitive control. The findings from the model-based analysis provide evidence for a novel interaction between cognitive control and mental rotation.

Beyond the rubicon: a continuum approach to investigating the impact of ADHD like characteristics on everyday executive function in children with Tourette Syndrome

Across a range of neurodevelopmental conditions, a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been shown to be associated with executive function impairment. However, the DSM-V emphasis upon viewing psychological characteristics as existing on a continuous distributed quantitative dimension has enabled the opportunity to consider the influence of sub-diagnostic or sub-referral levels of these psychological characteristics upon cognitive function. This study adopted a continuum approach to the consideration of this ADHD influence and examined the extent to which the difference in parental reported executive functions between children with Tourette syndrome (TS) or typically developing children could be mediated by a concurrent group difference in the possession of sub-referral levels of ADHD-like characteristics. A total of 146 children, 58 with reported TS diagnosis, participated. Parental report measures of ecological executive functioning, the Child Executive Functioning Inventory, and the Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale were employed. The analyses with a full sample and a sub-referral sample revealed significant group differences in most of the key measures. In addition, these measures were highly correlated even when controlling for age and gender. A series of mediation analyses indicated that in all models, the ADHD-like measures significantly mediated the group difference in executive function. These results suggest that sub-referrals levels of ADHD-like characteristics continue to contribute to executive challenges in TS. Future intervention research targeting these executive functions should consider the presence of ADHD-like characteristics at sub-referral levels of possession.

Review of spatial disability in individuals with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder: Toward spatial cognition theory

Spatial cognition is the ability to detect, process, integrate, and formulate the spatial aspects of the environment. Spatial abilities, as perceptual doorway of information processing, influence on higher cognitive functions. This systematic review aimed to explore impaired spatial ability in individuals with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD). The data from 18 empirical experiments that explored at least one factor of spatial ability in individuals with ADHD was collected in accordance with the PRISMA approach. This study discussed several determinants of impaired spatial ability, including factors, domains, tasks, and measures of spatial ability. Furthermore, the impact of age, gender, and comorbidities are discussed. Finally, a model was proposed to explain the impaired cognitive functions in children with ADHD based on spatial abilities.

Mechanism-based groups of children with ADHD are associated with distinct domains of impairment

Person-oriented analyses are commonly used to identify subgroups of children with mental health conditions in the hopes that they will meaningfully inform the taxonomy, assessment, and treatment of psychological disorder. However, whether these data-driven groups are demonstrably better at predicting important aspects of adaptive functioning than standard DSM taxonomy has not been established. Using Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) as a model condition, we utilized dimensions of personality and cognitive ability to identify person-centered profiles of school-aged children (N=246) and evaluated the association of these profiles with critical areas of adaptive functioning. A single profile ("Conscientious") represented non-ADHD controls and was characterized by faster drift rate and higher executive functioning scores. Three profiles ("Disagreeable," "Negative Emotionality," and "Extraverted") were identified for children with ADHD. Drift rate, but not executive functioning, distinguished among ADHD profiles, which were also distinctly associated with comorbid externalizing and internalizing psychopathology, social skills, and academic achievement. In contrast, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) presentations were not informative and showed similar patterns of impairment across domains. Person-centered profiles of children with ADHD are associated with distinct adaptive functioning deficits and may be useful in informing clinical practice.

Slow drift rate predicts ADHD symptomology over and above executive dysfunction

Slow drift rate has become one of the most salient cognitive deficits among children with ADHD, and has repeatedly been found to explain slow, variable, and error-prone performance on tasks of executive functioning (EF). The present study applies the diffusion model to determine whether slow drift rate better predicts parent and teacher ratings of ADHD than standard EF metrics. 201 children aged 8-12 completed two tests of speeded decision-making analyzed with the diffusion model and two traditionally scored tests of EF. Latent EF and drift rate factors each independently predicted the general ADHD factor in a bifactor model of ADHD, with poor EF and slow drift rate associated with greater ADHD symptomology. When both EF and drift rate were entered into the model, slow drift rate (but not EF) continued to predict elevated symptomology. These findings suggest that using drift rate to index task performance improves upon conventional approaches to measuring and conceptualizing cognitive dysfunction in ADHD. Implications for future cognitive research in ADHD are discussed.