[P1] Poster: Day 1

[P1-03] Interval timing in children with ADHD: Pilot study on timing differences

*Kateřina Dörflová^1,2, Veronika Rudolfová^3,2, Kristýna Malenínská², Tereza Nekovářová^2,3 (1. Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Neurosciences (Czech Republic), 2. National Institute of Mental Health in Czechia (Czech Republic), 3. Faculty of Science, Charles University, Department of Zoology (Czech Republic))

Keywords:

ADHD,children,time perception,interval timing

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder often associated with significant deficits in time perception. However, the precise mechanisms underlying these temporal impairments remain unclear. This pilot study investigated interval timing in 17 children with ADHD (mean age 8.9 years) and 16 age-matched neurotypical children (mean age 8.8 years) to explore group differences, the effect of age, and connections to particular cognitive domains. Participants completed a battery of cognitive tasks (assessing attention, working memory, and executive functions) alongside three distinct temporal tasks: time reproduction (1200 ms; 3000 ms; 4200 ms; 5500 ms; 7000 ms), a bisection task (short/long anchors 1200 ms; 7000 ms), and a finger-tapping task (400 ms; 1200 ms, spontaneous tempo). Our findings revealed a significant group difference exclusively in the reproduction of the 3000 ms interval (Mann-Whitney U test: p = 0.046; Cohen’s d = 0.184), where children with ADHD were less accurate and consistently underestimated the duration. This observation aligns with the hypothesis of a faster internal clock in individuals with ADHD. Notably, no other significant group differences were observed across the temporal tasks, nor were there significant age-related differences in timing performance. Distinct underlying mechanisms might be involved in processing various interval lengths, as we generally found no correlation between accuracy and precision across different temporal tasks. However, a correlation was observed within the finger-tapping task, between 400 ms and spontaneous tempo (p = 0.033). Despite the preliminary nature and small sample size, this pilot study provides insights into the timing deficits often registered in ADHD. It underscores the importance of continued research with larger cohorts to resolve existing inconsistencies in this field of study.

Supported by: GAUK 202524, Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine