The Clock Drawing Test in Children with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The purpose of this research was to determine clock drawing pattern in children with and without attentiondeficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and to evaluate the usage of clock drawing as a neuropsychological measure forthe Iranian children.

In this ex post facto research, 161 children with ADHD and 161 normal children, ageing 6-12 years were matched from a grid of sectors of 19different educational areas in Tehran through a multi-steps random sampling. Conceptualization of time and construction of the clock face were assessed separately using Cohen & et al., (2000) scoring system normed on school-age children.

Children with ADHD, regardless of subtype, performed significantly poorer than controls.Furthermore, children with combined subtype of ADHD, performed poorer than two other subtypes. The qualitative analysis of performance revealed errors that weresubsequent to poor planning during task execution, consistent with executive dysfunction commonly present in children with ADHD.

Accordingly, we canconclude that clock drawing test is a useful screening tool, as well as a valuable addition to a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation in children with ADHD.