Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children. Working memory deficits underlie many of the behavioural symptoms of ADHD. Alongside psychostimulant medications, strategies to improve working memory may play an important adjuvant role in the management of ADHD. In this study, we review the role of working memory deficits in ADHD, the evidence surrounding working memory training strategies in the management of the condition, and the factors affecting the success of these strategies in alleviating ADHD symptoms. More specifically, we review several non-pharmacological interventions that target working memory deficits in ADHD, with special emphasis on cognitive working memory training. We conclude that the development of evidence-based interventions such as computerised cognitive training (CCT) could provide an alternative or adjunct to the use of psychostimulants, especially in cases where side effects are a major issue.
Highlights
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children (Benyakorn et al, 2016)
We provide an overview of the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic benefit of working memory training and identify novel directions for research to improve ADHD treatment protocols
Given that working memory capacity significantly correlates with several cognitive abilities, these improvements should manifest in several measures which are independent of the precise materials and structure of the tasks (Schmiedek et al, 2010)
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children (Benyakorn et al, 2016). Functional neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that working memory is related to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), inferior and middle temporal lobes, and zones close to the IPC (Fang et al, 2016) These regions are linked to cognitive function, PLL, declarative memory, and episodic processing (Fang et al, 2016). Hampson et al (2010), reported that working memory accuracy was related to the coherent neuronal interconnection between the dlPFC and medial PFC (Hampson et al, 2010; Fang et al, 2016) Such complex cognitive functions are characterised by cooperation between multiple brain areas rather than being driven by one or two regions (Fang et al, 2016). Methylphenidate, and cocaine have a direct action on DATs and inhibit hyperactivity (Rahi and Kumar, 2021)
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