Abstract Objective Although Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is commonly conceptualized as a trait, recent work suggests a substantial state component given recent work demonstrating hormonal cycle effects on ADHD symptoms in women (Roberts et al., 2018). Given only modest correspondence between self-report and task performance measures of executive function, particularly working memory and response inhibition, in clinical assessments of ADHD, the current study utilizes a quasi-experimental design to evaluate state versus trait agreement in self-report and task measurement of executive function across the menstrual cycle. Method The current study collected self-report on the Barkley (2011) Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale and task measurement of working memory and response inhibition using Lumosity Pinball and Robot Factory every evening for 28 consecutive days in 103 females between the ages of 18-25 (M= 21.6, SD=2.25, 78% White) with regular menstrual cycles not taking exogenous hormones. Results Self-reported and task performance for response inhibition were significantly correlated at the between- (r=.265, p=.010) and within-person levels (r=.093, p.001). Meanwhile, self-reported and task performance for working memory were significantly correlated at the within-person level (r=.098, p.001) but not at the between-person level (r=.115, p=.274). Conclusion While response inhibition measure congruence suggests these measures are capturing both within- and between-person differences, working memory measure congruence suggests that they are capturing within-person but not between-person differences, in line with extant menopausal and animal work (Luine, 2014) suggesting hormonal effects on working memory in particular. State effects on cognition in women merit further evaluation to inform assessment of ADHD.
Pinheiro et al. (Fri,) studied this question.