Measuring Executive Function in the Differential Diagnosis of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Does It Really Tell Us Anything?

Research initially supported the theory that deficits in executive function (EF) underlie the core neuropsychological sequelae of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly deficits in working memory and inhibitory control arising from dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex. Consequently, neuropsychologists commonly employ measures of EF or prefrontal cortex dysfunction in the differential diagnosis of ADHD and its subtypes in children. However, recent findings have called the EF deficit theory of ADHD into question, and research on the specificity of both direct and indirect measures of EF has not yielded promising results. This article presents a brief, critical review of the past and current research on neuropsychological assessment of EF and ADHD and suggests how EF measures can, in light of the most current science, still remain a useful part of a neuropsychological test battery.