Attention Deficit Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
The overall objective of the current study is to determine whether computerized Working Memory (WM) training will enhance WM capacity in college students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)/Learning Disabilities (LD). There are also three additional objectives. The first is to determine whether improvements in WM will generalize to secondary outcome tasks, such as inhibitory control and planning. The second objective is to examine whether WM training will also ameliorate ADHD symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity. The last objective is to investigate whether improvements will be maintained at a two month follow-up period. It is expected that the computerized WM training program will enhance WM capacity in college students with ADHD. In addition, it is believed that these increases in WM capacity will also lead to improvements in other executive functions. It is also hypothesized that WM training will lead to a reduction in ADHD symptomology. Lastly, these improvements should be maintained at three month follow-up.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALCogmed
The Cogmed Working Memory Training Program will be used as the experimental program because of preliminary evidence indicating its effectiveness in enhancing WM and reducing behavioural symptoms of inattention/hyperactivity in children. This software-based training program was designed to improve WM abilities, particularly in children with ADHD or severe attention problems. Training is implemented with a software program (RoboMemo©). It includes a set of auditory verbal and visual-spatial WM tasks presented via computer. All tasks involve: maintenance of simultaneous mental representations of multiple stimuli, unique sequencing of stimulus order in each trial and progressive adaptation of difficulty level as a function of individual performance.
Sponsors
University of Toronto
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Diagnosis of ADHD/Learning Disability * registered as a university student (full or part time) * registered at accessibilities services * taking at least one course
Exclusion criteria
* On a leave
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (auditory verbal working memory measure) | within 120 days |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Cognitive Failures Questionnaire | within 120 days |
Countries
Canada
Contacts
Primary ContactRachel Gropper, MA
Outcome results
None listed