Commentary: Working memory training and ADHD - where does its potential lie? Reflections on Chacko et al. (2014)

Area of Science:

• Cognitive psychology
• Neuroscience
• Child psychiatry

Background:

• Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by inattention and hyperactivity.
• Working memory (WM) deficits are common in children with ADHD.
• Cognitive training, specifically WM training, is being investigated as a potential intervention for ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical utility of Cogmed Working Memory Training (CWMT) for alleviating key symptoms of ADHD.
• To assess the impact of CWMT on short-term memory (STM) and complex working memory (WM) performance in children with ADHD.
• To evaluate the effects of CWMT on ADHD-related behavioral symptoms and academic achievement.

Main Methods:

• Children with ADHD participated in an intensive CWMT program or a placebo version.
• Performance on trained STM tasks, untrained complex WM measures, ADHD symptom ratings, and academic scores were assessed.
• A placebo-controlled design was used to compare CWMT effects against a low-level training condition.

Main Results:

• CWMT significantly improved performance on STM tasks similar to those trained.
• No significant improvements were observed in complex WM measures with little overlap to training.
• CWMT did not ameliorate parent/teacher-rated ADHD symptoms, motor impulsivity, or sustained attention.
• Academic scores in reading, spelling, comprehension, and mathematics remained unchanged.

Conclusions:

• CWMT effectively enhances performance on trained short-term memory tasks in children with ADHD.
• CWMT does not appear to generalize to untrained complex working memory tasks or improve core ADHD symptoms.
• Current evidence suggests CWMT is not a sufficient intervention for addressing the multifaceted challenges of ADHD, including behavioral and academic deficits.