Will working memory training generalize to improve off-task behavior in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Computerized cognitive training programs are emerging for executive function deficits.
• Generalizability of these interventions to real-world functional improvements in disorders like ADHD remains unclear.
• Off-task behavior is a core academic challenge for children with ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if working memory (WM) training in children with ADHD reduces off-task behavior during academic tasks.
• To compare adaptive WM training against a non-adaptive placebo condition.
• To explore the generalization of WM training effects beyond the training context.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study involving 26 children diagnosed with ADHD (ages 7-14).
• Participants underwent approximately 25 sessions of either adaptive WM training or a non-adaptive placebo training.
• Off-task behavior was assessed using the Restricted Academic Situations Task (RAST); ADHD symptoms and WM abilities were also measured.

Main Results:

• Working memory training significantly decreased off-task behavior as measured by the RAST.
• Participants in the WM training group showed significant improvements in working memory test performance.
• No significant differences were observed between groups on parent rating scales for ADHD symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Working memory training may indirectly improve academic performance in children with ADHD by reducing off-task behavior.
• These findings suggest that WM training effects can generalize to core behavioral deficits associated with ADHD.
• Further research is warranted to understand the relationship between WM deficits and off-task behaviors in ADHD.