Visuospatial attention and intelligence in children with ADHD-hyperactive type

Abstract

Aim: Attention is a core cognitive function that supports higher-order processes such as reasoning, problem solving, and intelligence. In children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), particularly the hyperactive subtype, impairments in attentional control may interfere with the development and expression of cognitive abilities. This study examined the relationship between visuospatial attention and both verbal and nonverbal intelligence in children with ADHD-hyperactive type (ADHD-H). Methods: A sample of 65 children with ADHD-H and 73 typically developing controls (aged 8–10 years) completed three tasks: the Benton Visual Form Discrimination Test (VFDT), assessing complex visuospatial attention; the Raven’s Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPMs), measuring nonverbal fluid intelligence; and the Verbal Abstraction Test (Comprehension and Verbal Absurdities subtests), assessing verbal reasoning. Independent-samples t-tests and mixed-design ANOVAs were conducted to compare group performance and examine within-task variability. Results: Children with ADHD-H performed significantly worse than controls on both the VFDT and the RCPMs total scores. Qualitative analysis revealed a marked decline in performance across VFDT item sets, more frequent peripheral errors in later trials. Group differences in RCPMs emerged in gestalt and analogy subcomponents but not in perceptual similarity items. Conversely, verbal abstraction scores did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: Findings suggest that attentional deficits, rather than global intellectual impairment, primarily account for lower nonverbal reasoning performance in children with ADHD-H. Verbal reasoning abilities appear relatively preserved. These results underscore the need for differential diagnostic assessment and targeted interventions to strengthen visuospatial attention and cognitive control in ADHD-H.