Neurofeedback as an Intervention to Improve Reading Achievement in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Inattentive Subtype

Jeffry La Marca,Rollanda O'Connor

doi:10.15540/nr.3.2.55

Jeffry La Marca, Rollanda O'Connor

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.15540/nr.3.2.55

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Abstract

Author(s): La Marca, Jeffry P; O'Connor, Rollanda E | Abstract: Research consistently demonstrates that attention deficits have a deleterious effect on academic achievement. Impairments in attention, and not hyperactivity/impulsivity, are associated with learning difficulties and academic problems in students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). To date, most studies have focused on symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity, with little research being conducted on interventions for students with ADHD, inattentive subtype. This study examines the use of neurofeedback as an intervention to improve reading achievement in a public school setting. A multiple-baseline-across-participants single-case model was used to assess five fourth-grade students who received 40 daily sessions of neurofeedback. Following the intervention, improvements were observed on objective measures of attention: a continuous performance test (Integrated Visual and Auditory Continuous Performance Test [IVA+Plus]) and/or a testof shifting attention (CNS Vital Signs, Shifting Attention Test [CNS-VS, SAT]). Results on tests of reading fluency revealed little change, although participants demonstrated gains on a measure of reading comprehension (Gray Oral Reading Tests–Fifth Edition [GORT-5]). Results suggest that neurofeedback helped participants to become more accurately engaged with the text with more focused attention to content. Thus, neurofeedback may be a viable option to assist children with attention deficits for improving both attention and reading achievement.

Highlights

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered to be among the most widely studied and treated of all psychiatric disorders (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011; Goldman, Genel, Bezman, & Slanetz, 1998; Hart, Lahey, Loeber, Applegate, & Frick, 1995; Volkow et al, 2011)
Our research examined three research questions within the context of examining the efficacy of neurofeedback with students presenting with symptoms of ADHD, inattentive subtype, in a public school setting: 1) Will neurofeedback enhance attention as measured by Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs)?
A growing body of scientific literature suggests that the efficacy of neurofeedback as an intervention to assist individuals with attention deficits holds promise

Summary

Introduction

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is considered to be among the most widely studied and treated of all psychiatric disorders (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011; Goldman, Genel, Bezman, & Slanetz, 1998; Hart, Lahey, Loeber, Applegate, & Frick, 1995; Volkow et al, 2011). It is a heterogeneous condition characterized by the presence of a variety of symptoms, the most salient of which includes problems with inattention, executive function, impulsivity, memory, and hyperactivity (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). The inattentive subtype (i.e., attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder without hyperactivity) received little attention until the early 1990s when it was recognized by the American Psychiatric Association (1994)

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