Effect of Stimulant Medication on the Acceptance of Background Noise in Individuals with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Available data indicate that, on some auditory tasks, individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD/ADD) perform more poorly than individuals without ADHD/ADD. Research also indicates that performance may improve with the use of stimulant medication. The present study (1) examined the effect of stimulant medication on acceptance of background noise in individuals with ADHD/ADD and (2) investigated the dependence of speech presentation level on acceptance of noise in persons with ADHD/ADD. Fifteen normal hearing female college students with ADHD/ADD served as the participants. The participants were medicated in one session and unmedicated in the other session. Results showed that medication significantly increased the acceptance of background noise for individuals with ADHD/ADD. Results also indicated that acceptance of noise depends on speech presentation level, but the improvement in acceptance of noise was not dependent on medication.

Key Words

Acceptable noise level - attention deficit disorder - attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder - most comfortable level - stimulant medication