Electrophysiological parameters in psychiatric research: ADHD

Electrophysiology is a chronometric tool to describe the time course of mental operations: this technique is unsurpassed when precise accounts of the covert activity of the brain are required. The scope of investigation in psychiatric research ranges from genes to cognition, from neurology to mind. This contribution reviews the efficacy of electrophysiology in delineating causal mechanisms, taking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as an example. We review key electrophysiological findings in the study of ADHD, which contribute to the aetiological framework. Further, it is suggested that electrophysiological studies that build on cognitive-experimental findings may direct future lines of investigation, especially in combination with genetic methodologies.