Training Attention-Switching Ability in Adults With ADHD

Abstract

Adults with ADHD show attention-switching impairments, but deficits may be ameliorated with short-term, targeted training. Research has implications for cognitive training in ADHD.

Executive function training with game elements for obese children: A novel treatment to enhance self-regulatory abilities for weight-control

“…Preschool children trained in inhibition showed a significant improvement on most of the trained tasks, but there was no generalization effect of this training to tasks measuring other executive functions like working memory (Thorell et al, 2009;White & Shah, 2006). This may have been due to the training task used, in which the level of inhibition was not adapted to the level of the child.…”

Cognitive switching processes in young people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

“…If control is efficient the cost can be small. Young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have disturbances in reinforcement processes (Sonuga-Barke, 2005), controlling effortful processes (Sergeant, Geurts, Huijbregts, Scheres, & Oosterlaan, 2003;Hurks et al, 2005), and switching attention-related processes (Pearson, Lane, & Swanson, 1991;Mason, Humphreys, & Kent, 2004;White & Shah, 2006).…”

“…If control is efficient the cost can be small. Young people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have disturbances in reinforcement processes (Sonuga-Barke, 2005), controlling effortful processes (Sergeant, Geurts, Huijbregts, Scheres, & Oosterlaan, 2003;Hurks et al, 2005), and switching attention-related processes (Pearson, Lane, & Swanson, 1991;Mason, Humphreys, & Kent, 2004;White & Shah, 2006).Neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies report roles for the inferior frontal regions in switching between stimuli (Jemel, Achenbach, Müller, Röpcke, & Oades, 2002;Beck, Rees, Frith, & Lavie, 2001), and parts of the intraparietal sulcus in switching between plans contingent on set (Dove, Pollmann, Schubert, Wiggins, & von Cramon, 2000;Hampshire & Corresponding author: Biopsychology Group, University Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Virchowstr. 174, 45147 Essen, Germany, Tel.…”

“…As symptom severity correlated with latency across the whole population, we propose that the apparent familiality of siblings' performance likely reflects a feature of the shared environment rather than of the disorder. Young non-ADHD children are vulnerable in a family with an ADHD case, but unlike ADHD cases (White and Shah, 2006) this is not maintained with development. We believe this is the first time that data on symptoms, age and gender have been reported for TMT performance in ADHD cases and their non-ADHD siblings.…”

Assessment of the feasibility of a rehabilitation intervention program for breast cancer survivors with cognitive complaints

“…Each session was 2 h in duration guided by an intervention manual developed for the program. The intervention included in-class and homework exercises and goal setting (Levine et al 2000;Moore Sohlberg and Mateer 2001;Rogers and Monsell 1995;O'Brien et al 2008;Verhaeghen et al 1992;White and Shah 2006;Wilson 2003). Homework had three difficulty levels (Moore Sohlberg and Mateer 2001;Wilson 2003).…”