Quantitative EEG differences during the administration of a continuous performance task among adults with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The present study evaluated electroencephalographic (EEG) processing between adults with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the presentation of the Intermediate Visual and Auditory (IVA) Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and during an eyes-open and eyes-closed baseline. Cortical activity was compared within nine locations of the International 10-20 Placement System across three bandpasses: theta, alpha, and beta. Results suggested that adults with ADHD demonstrate an EEG pattern characterized by higher levels of theta activity and lower levels of beta activity during both cognitive and baseline tasks.