Background:
The Arousal-regulation model of affective disorders and ADHD interpret hyperactivity
and impulsivity in ADHD as an autoregulatory attempt to stabilise vigilance by creating
a stimulus incentive environment. Using an EEG-based algorithm (Vigilance Algorithm
Leipzig, VIGALL) to assess the CNS arousal from high wakefulness to drowsiness until
sleep onset, paediatric ADHD as well as manic patients showed an unstable CNS arousal
with rapid declines to lower vigilance stages or sleep onset. We investigated whether
the CNS arousal in adult patients with ADHD is less stable than that of healthy controls
by exploring the frequency of EEG-vigilance regulation patterns.
Methods:
Resting EEG recordings of 15 min under quiet rest with eyes closed of 34 unmedicated
adult ADHD patients and 24 healthy controls were performed. Two parameters were determined:
Mean EEG-arousal level and of Arousal regulation. Group differences (ADHS vs. healthy
controls) were tested with Mann-Whitney U test for independent samples. Results/conclusions:
Patients with ADHD showed lower EEG arousal level (mean vigilance p = 0.024) and less
stable arousal regulation (arousal stability score p = 0.019) compared to the healthy
controls.
Conclusion:
The confirmed arousal regulation model in ADHD could establish new insights into the
neurophysiology of ADHD in adulthood and should be the subject of further investigations.
