Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence

Bellato, Alessio; Arora, Iti; Hollis, Chris; Groom, Madeleine J.

Abstract

Although arousal mechanisms have frequently been found to be atypical in ADHD, these findings usually emerged from indirect behavioural measures which give only a limited understanding of arousal dysregulation in this condition. To assess the hypothesis that functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), one component of arousal, is atypical in ADHD, we carried out a systematic review of the literature on 55 studies investigating electro-dermal, heart rate and pupillometry measures under different experimental conditions (resting-state, cognitive tasks and in response to reinforcers or socio-emotional stimuli). Our literature review identified ANS dysfunction in individuals with ADHD, more often in the direction of hypo-arousal than hyper-arousal, particularly at rest and during tasks requiring response regulation and sustained attention. Almost half of the reported findings were null. Stimulant medications increased ANS activity and, in some studies, reinforcers and rewards produced a similar effect, suggesting that ANS function can be modified in ADHD. Further research is needed to assess the influence of comorbid symptoms and to explore methodological parameters that may influence findings.

Citation

Bellato, A., Arora, I., Hollis, C., & Groom, M. J. (2020). Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 108, 182-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 1, 2019
• Online Publication Date: Nov 10, 2019
• Publication Date: 2020-01
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 10, 2019
• Journal: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
• Print ISSN: 0149-7634
• Electronic ISSN: 1873-7528
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 108
• Pages: 182-206
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.001
• Keywords: ADHD; Arousal regulation; Autonomic nervous system; Heart rate; Electrodermal activity; Skin conductance; Pupillometry; Resting-state; Cognitive; Socio-emotional; Rewards; Stimulant medication
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3525302
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S014976341930418X?via%3Dihub
• Additional Information: This article is maintained by: Elsevier; Article Title: Is autonomic nervous system function atypical in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? A systematic review of the evidence; Journal Title: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews; CrossRef DOI link to publisher maintained version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.001; Content Type: article; Copyright: © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.