The relation of brain wave patterns and diagnostic psychological symptoms in primary school students with ADHD and ADD

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between brain wave patterns obtained using Quantitative Electroencephalogram(QEEG) and diagnostic psychological symptoms in children with Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in order to determine more quantitative and more objective ways for diagnosing this disorder. In this study, initially, 50 children diagnosed with ADHD/ADD were selected by convenience sampling as research subjects and then, during a meeting, mothers of these children answered to Rutter’s “children’s behavior questionnaire (parents form: A)”. In the next stage, using a 40-channel MITSAR QEEG machine, brain waves of children with the disorder was recorded from 21 spots on their scalps. The data collected through Pearson Correlation coefficient, One-Way ANOVA, Independent T-Test, and multiple regression analysis were analyzed. The results showed that there is a significant and positive relationship between brain wave patterns in QEEG and psychological symptoms of ADHD and ADD. The obtained results also showed a significant difference between brain waves in QEEG of children with ADHD and ADD. The mean of delta, theta, and alpha brain waves in children with ADHD was higher than children with ADD, and in beta component the amount of brain waves of children with ADD was higher than children with ADHD.