J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2017 Apr;28(2):123-131. 10.5765/jkacap.2017.28.2.123.

Augmentative Effects of Working Memory Training on Clinical Symptoms and Neuropsychology in Medicated Children and Adolescents with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Affiliations
  • 1Seoul Brain Research Institute, Seoul, Korea. hanikyoo@gmail.com
  • 2Seoul Regional Military Manpower Administration, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVES
Executive dysfunction including working memory deficit has been suggested to be one of the major neuropsychological etiologies of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the augmentative effects of Cogmed working memory training on the symptoms and neurocognitive functions in medicated children and adolescents with ADHD.
METHODS
Twenty-five children with ADHD, aged 7 to 19 years, taking ADHD medication participated in this study. The participants were trained for 5 weeks with a commercially available and computerized working memory program (Cogmed®) without any changes to their medication. The Korean version of the ADHD Rating Scale, Clinical Global Impression Scale, and Comprehensive Attention Test were administered before training and 4 weeks and 7 months after training, respectively.
RESULTS
After completing the training, the clinical symptoms and function, rated by the parents and clinician, were improved. In addition, the level of commission errors was significantly reduced in the selective attention (visual/auditory) task, sustained attention to response task, and flanker task. The untrained visuospatial short-term memory and working memory were also improved. These effects were still observed 7 months after the training.
CONCLUSION
Cogmed working memory training can be a promising training option for the additional improvement of the symptoms and deficits in working memory and response inhibition in medicated children with ADHD.

Keyword

Working memory training; Cogmed; Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder; Neuropsychology

MeSH Terms

Adolescent*
Child*
Humans
Memory, Short-Term*
Neuropsychology*
Parents
Full Text Links
  • JKACAP
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr