Presentation Information
[P1-27]The Interaction Between Timing, Impulsive Choice, and Risk Taking in Children with ADHD: Exploring the Role of Pharmacological Treatment
*Gloria Ochoa-Zendejas1, Ivette Vargas-de la Cruz2, Cristiano Valerio dos Santos3, Jonathan Buriticá1 (1. Lab. of Cognition and Comparative Learning, Univ. of Guadalajara-CEIC, Guadalajara. (Mexico), 2. Universidad de Guadalajara, Departamento de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (Mexico), 3. Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones en Comportamiento (Mexico))
Keywords:
Timing,ADHD,Impulsive Choice,Risk Taking,Pharmacological Treatment
Impulsive choice is choosing a smaller, immediate reward over a larger, delayed one, even when the delayed option is objectively optimal. Research in animal models evidences interaction between impulsive choice and timing precision (Smith et al., 2015), consistent withs studies with human adults suggesting a relationship between impulsivity, time perception, and risk-taking behavior (Baumann & Odum, 2012). It has been proposed that precise temporal estimation might underlie reductions in impulsive behavior, particularly in intervention studies with animals. However, this hypothesis remains untested. Individuals diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often display heightened impulsive choice, perceive time as passing quickly, and show less precision in estimating temporal durations. Despite this, few studies have examined how these processes relate in children with ADHD, or how pharmacological treatment may influence them. This study aims to evaluate the performance of children with ADHD on tasks assessing impulsive choice, temporal bisection, time reproduction, and risk-taking, and to explore how pharmacological treatment may impact behavior in such tasks. Participants will be children aged 8 to 10 years with a confirmed ADHD diagnosis by a neurologist. The procedure will include three phases. In the pre-test, conducted before starting medication, participants will complete four tasks: temporal bisection, time reproduction, temporal discounting, and probability discounting, two weeks later, caregivers will complete a short telephone survey about medication adherence. Approximately one month after the initial assessment, participants will repeat the same set of tasks. This study is currently underway. We anticipate the results will contribute to a better understanding of the interaction between timing, impulsive choice, and risk-taking in children with ADHD, and will provide insights into the potential role of medication in modulating these behaviors. These findings may inform the development of more effective intervention strategies.