Perceptual Load and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology: Investigating the Frontal Novelty P3 as a Marker of Distractibility

Diplôme Master Perceptual Load and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology: Investigating the Frontal Novelty P3 as a Marker of Distractibility eng 2025-06-13 author Thiam Shadee 761292 Section de psychologie (PSICO) director Bavelier Daphné 737548 Section de psychologie (PSICO) Perceptual load has been shown to be a significant modulator of distractibility. By exhausting one’s perceptual capacity, and thus limiting resources available for processing distractors, higher perceptual load can counter interindividual differences in distractibility, even equating groups with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to control groups (Fisher et al., 2023). Here we ask whether perceptual load can also be seen to modulate the impact on distractibility of ADHD symptomatology within the general population - as assessed by the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale. Participants were tested on a novel auditory oddball task comprising frequent standard tones, rare target tones that required a button-press response, and importantly rare task-irrelevant novel sounds that served as distractors. This task, coupled with EEG recording, was performed under a low load condition while fixating a fixation cross and under high load while playing an action video game. Focusing on the frontal novelty P3, a suggested EEG-marker of ADHD in Marzinzik et al. (2012), we show greater amplitude responses to distracting auditory novels as ADHD scores increase at low load; yet, as predicted by the load theory, this effect was significantly diminished at high load. This was the case despite no detectable behavioral differences with ADHD symptomatology (as indexed by auditory target RTs or D-prime). Such increased amplitudes under low load of the frontal novelty P3 in individuals with higher ADHD symptomatology is in line with the hypothesis of reduced frontal inhibitory control in ADHD. Dewey 150 108 Section de psychologie 71 false 1373 Brain & Learning Lab 29d66ce2-069f-4227-97f5-587588622ae3 Master thesis Private file.pdf 4118442 application/pdf 3d59a84f71d98c93c67262a19aaf53a8ddf1f6f770dad32a84348b550f1ba73a closedAccess Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie

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Perceptual Load and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology: Investigating the Frontal Novelty P3 as a Marker of Distractibility				2025	33	1

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