Hyperfocus in adult ADHD : an EEG study of the differences in cortical activity in resting and arousal states

M.A. (Psychology)Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterised by problems relating to attention, impulsive behaviour and hyperactivity, has become widely accepted to be a neurodevelopmental disorder that persists into adulthood for a large proportion of the ADHD population. ADHD symptoms are reported to undergo developmental transformation from childhood to adulthood, resulting in a significantly different clinical picture of adult ADHD. This signals a need to move away from reliance on childhood models of the disorder. Current conceptions of both childhood and adult ADHD do not discuss the occurrence of hyperfocus (or flow), a symptom which seems to connote an extreme form of sustained attention and which has been noted in clinical work. The possibility that hyperfocus could occur in ADHD is unexpected and poses a challenge to current formulations of inattention in ADHD. Media settings have been identified as providing the conditions needed for one to enter the hyperfocus state. This study set out to explore the possible symptom of hyperfocus in ADHD and to attempt to identify the neural correlates thereof, using electroencephalograph (EEG). A sample of 10 participants (5 ADHD, 5 non-ADHD) was recruited using the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale V-1.1 (ASRS V-1.1) Screener and a biographical questionnaire. A quasi-experimental research design was employed, whereby EEG recordings of frontal, frontal midline and parietal regions were taken for each participant during resting states (Eyes Closed and Eyes Open) and whilst playing a first person shooter game. Post-test survey questionnaires were also administered to examine the participants’ time perception during game play. Between-group and within-group differences in absolute and relative power scores were examined, using non-parametric statistical methods (Mann-Whitney-U test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test) to analyse the data. Possible markers for hyperfocus were identified, namely significantly lower alpha and beta levels in the ADHD group, as well as a decrease in slow-wave activity over time, as well as post-test survey data that indicated a greater degree of distorted time perception in the ADHD group during game play. Significant between- and within-group differences found in the parietal region highlight the need for further research into the role of the parietal lobe in attention functions and in ADHD. Further, significant changes in cortical activity in the progression from Eyes Closed to Eyes Open in both groups warrant further investigation