Implications of Inattention

Abstract

In the present paper we use behavioral and resting state neuroimaging data to investigate the implications of having symptoms of Inattentive ADHD. We frame our investigation by considering two factors that seem to contribute to Inattention: temporal processing deficits and mind-wandering. Using behavioral measures we assess the relationship between Inattention and Cognitive ability – as measured by IQ and reading tests, motor function, as measured by parent questionnaires, and psychosocial functioning, also gauged by parent report. We find a strong link between Inattention and deficits in the domains of motor and psychosocial functioning. We also obtained somewhat paradoxical results in the domain of reading ability. In our fMRI analysis, we assess network-wide connectivity between the motor (MOT), default mode (DMN), and frontoparietal control (FPCN) networks. No significant correlations were found between connectivity and Inattention, but we did find that Anger scores correlated positively with connectivity between FPCN and DMN. Our results suggest that for implicit timing and mind-wandering are both helpful frameworks for understanding Inattention; while mind-wandering helps us understand the link between Inattention and psychosocial challenges, implicit timing gives insight into the overlap between Inattention, motor function, and rapid automatized naming.