Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious, common, and chronic behavioral syndrome found in 3-5% of school-aged children; little is known about manifestation in young adults. In order to better understand ADHD in adults, Dr. Joel Nigg and Dr. John Henderson, of the MSU Psychology Department, are studying the cognitive styles of college students and other young adults who report problems with attention. The information gathered in this study would ultimately aide in the development of better diagnostic criteria, intervention strategies, and treatment programs for adults with ADHD.
Young adults with a history of attentional problems are encouraged to participate in this study for which they would be paid $10/hour (or, if enrolled in a psychology class requiring participation in psychological experiments, they may receive experiment participation credits) and have the opportunity to receive clinical feedback about any learning or attention problems if desired. The study takes approximately 8 hours of participation, separated into four 2 - 2 ½ hour blocks of time. Times would be arranged prior to participation, and the entire study would be carried out on the MSU campus in the psychology department. Participants may also be asked to return several weeks or months later for follow-up. At this time, we are only requesting volunteers who have not previously participated.
Here is a brief description of what the study would entail. You would be scheduled to participate in an initial "screening" visit to assess eligibility for the rest of the study. During the first visit, you would be administered tasks designed to measure your reading, spelling, and math ability. You would also be given a structured diagnostic interview to assess for possible emotional, learning, or attentional problems. Depending upon the results of this first visit, you may be invited to participate in three more two-hour sessions. During the second visit, you would be administered several tasks to assess planning, inhibitory, memory, and writing processes. You would also fill out questionnaires during this time regarding your thoughts and feelings as a child and adult. During the third and fourth visits, you would participate in a number of computer-generated tasks designed to assess visual spatial attention, inhibitory processes, and writing ability under different conditions.
Participants would also be asked to provide a sample of their cheek cells by swabbing the inner lining of their cheek with a q-tip. The tissue samples would then be processed for later genetic analysis. All information will remain completely private and no identifying information will be included in the reports about the study, which will only summarize group data.
If you are interested, have not participated in the project before, and would like more information, please contact Cynthia Huang-Pollock, the graduate student at (517) 355-0186.