This study investigated electroencephalographic differences between two groups of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, combined type, with reading disabilities (ADHD + RD) or without (ADHD) and typical control participants. Twenty participants were included in each group. All participants were between the ages of 8 and 12 years, and groups were matched on age and gender. The electroencephalographic (EEG) was recorded during an eyes-closed resting condition from 21 monopolar derivations, which were clustered into nine regions for analysis. The EEGs were Fourier-transformed to provide absolute and relative power estimates for the delta, theta, alpha, and beta bands. Ratio coefficients were also calculated for the theta/alpha and theta/beta ratios. Compared with controls, the clinical groups demonstrated the increased slow-wave and reduced fast-wave activity commonly reported in the ADHD literature. The ADHD + RD group had more relative theta, less relative alpha, and a higher theta/alpha ratio than the ADHD group. A number of hemispheric differences were also found in the delta and alpha bands. These results suggested that some of the EEG divergences found in the ADHD + RD group represent an electrophysiological component associated with the reading disability that is independent of the EEG divergences found in ADHD.
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