Sensitivity and Specificity of QEEG in Children with Attention Deficit or Specific Developmental Learning Disorders

Abstract

The sensitivity and specificity of QEEG-based discriminant functions were evaluated in populations of children diagnosed with specific developmental learning disorders and those with attention deficit disorders. Both populations of children could be distinguished from each other, and from the normal population, with high levels of accuracy. Pretreatment QEEG could be utilized to distinguish ADD/ADHD children who responded to dextroamphetamine from those who responded to methylphenidate, again with high levels of accuracy. This paper provides a replication of all presented discriminant functions, and should provide the research basis for the generalized utilization of QEEG in the initial evaluation of children with learning and/or attention disorders.