Table 2.
Summary details of the included studies: Emotion Recognition.
| Study | N | Gender | Age | ADHD | Comorbidity | Treatment | Assessment | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demrici and Erdogan, 2016 [58] | 60 ADHD (21 C, 17 H/I, 22 I) 60 HCs |
35/25 ADHD 35/25 HCs |
8–15 years (ADHD = 10.8) (HCs = 10.8) |
drug-naive | ID, ASD, CD excluded | pharmacological treatment for 12 weeks: −38 OROS-MPH (final dose 1.2 mg/kg/day) −32 ATX (final dose 1.2 mg/kg/day) |
BFRT | ADHD sample had significantly lower scores in BFRT than HCs. ADHD-H/I had a lower number of correct answers in BRFT than ADHD-C and I. After OROS-MPH/ATX treatment, the ADHD sample showed a significant improvement in BFRT. |
| Gumustas et al., 2017a [60] | 65 ADHD 61 HCs |
53/12 ADHD 46/15 HCs |
8–14 years (ADHD = 10.86)(HCs = 11.21) |
drug-naive | ID, ASD, psychosis, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ODD excluded | OROS-MPH treatment for 12 weeks (0.83 ± 0.21 mg/kg/day) | DANVA-2 | No significant statistical differences in facial expression recognition skills in the two groups. Following the MPH treatment, the ADHD group showed a significant decrease in the recognition error of anger and sadness expressions. |
| Hall et al., 1999 [68] | 15 ADHD (13 C, 2 H/I) 15 ADHD/LD (14 C, 1 H/I) 15 no ADHD or LD |
36/9 | 7–10 years | the ADHD sample was taken MPH (Ritalin) for at least a month at the time of the study | ID excluded | the DANVA was administered twice to each child in the ADHD and ADHD/LD groups: once while the ADHD and ADHD/LD participants were on medication and once off medication |
DANVA SPBRS |
The ADHD/LD group demonstrated significant difficulty in comparison to their peers in perceiving paralanguage cues effectively. The ADHD/LD group showed significant improvement on the Postures and Paralanguage subtests during on-medication conditions. |
| Schulz et al., 2018 [69] | 25 ADHD (17C, 8I) | 14/9 | 19–52 years (34.8 ± 9.8) |
2 participants were on medication at intake, 9 had a history of previous stimulant treatment (2 of whom had also previously been treated with nonstimulant medication) | psychosis, BD, PTSD, substance use disorderexcluded | 3 to 4 weeks of LDX (mean maintenance dose = 64 mg/day–SD = 13 mg) treatment and 3 weeks of medication in a randomized, counterbalanced, hybrid crossover design | participants were scanned twice with event-related fMRI while performing an emotional go/no-go task | No significant differences between the two treatment arms. LDX was associated with an increase in fMRI activation in the right amygdala and reduced interactions with the orbital aspect of the left inferior frontal gyrus specifically for responses to sad faces. |
| Schwenck et al., 2013 [70] | 56 ADHD (10C,2H/I,44I) 28 ADHD-MD− 28 ADHD-MD+ 28 CG |
19/9 | 8.2–17.3 years (MD− = 12.36) (MD+ = 12.31) (CG = 12.49) |
47 children in the ADHD group were taken MPH at the time of the study (one child was additionally taken ATX), 6 drug-naive | ID, ASD, ODD, CD excluded | cross-sectional design study | MT | No differences found between ADHD-MD−, ADHD-MD+ and CG on emotion recognition. |
Abbreviations: ADHD, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; ADHD-MED-, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder no medication; ADHD-MED+, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder with medication; ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorder; ATX, Atomoxetine; BD, Bipolar Disorder; BRFT, Breton Face Recognition Test; C, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Combined subtype; CD, Conduct Disorder; CG, control group; DANVA, Diagnostic Analysis of Nonverbal Accuracy; ERP, event related potential; FEFA, Frankfurt Test and Training of Facial Affect; fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; H/I, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Hyperactive/Impulsive subtype; HCs, Healthy Controls; I, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Inattentive subtype; ID, Intellectual Disability; LD, Learning Disability; LDX, lisdexamfetamine; MPH, Methylphenidate; MT, Morphing Task; ODD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder; OROS-MPH, long acting-Methylphenidate; PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; SD, standard deviation; SPBRS, Social Perception Behavior Rating Scale.