Working Memory Deficits and Social Problems in Children with ADHD

Abstract

Social problems are a prevalent feature of ADHD and reflect a major source of functional impairment for these children. The current study examined the impact of working memory deficits on parent- and teacher-reported social problems in a sample of children with ADHD and typically developing boys (N=39). Bootstrapped, bias-corrected mediation analyses revealed that the impact of working memory deficits on social problems is primarily indirect. That is, impaired social interactions in children with ADHD reflect, to a significant extent, the behavioral outcome of being unable to maintain a focus of attention on information within working memory while simultaneously dividing attention among multiple, on-going events and social cues occurring within the environment. Central executive deficits impacted social problems through both inattentive and impulsive-hyperactive symptoms, whereas the subsidiary phonological and visuospatial storage/rehearsal systems demonstrated a more limited yet distinct relationship with children's social problems.

The Impact of Inhibition Training on Symptoms of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder and Social Skills

“…Further, recent studies suggest ADHD symptoms mediate the effect of executive function deficits on social impairment [8][9][10]. Specifically, the relationship between inhibition and social impairment is mediated by the hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms of ADHD [11].…”

Knowledge or Performance - Why Youth with Autism Experience Social Problems

“…For instance, among youth with ADHD, didactic lessons on appropriate social behaviors on a playgroup constitute knowledge-training. However, providing reminders of those social behaviors prior to recess offers a context that mitigates their poorer working memory (Kofler et al, 2011), leading such reminders to act as performance-training modules.…”

Perfil multicontextual de los niños con Trastorno por Deficit de Atención e Hiperactividad en sus Competencias Sociales

“…También, se ha mostrado en poblaciones clínicas que existe una correlación positiva de las FE con los déficits en las habilidades sociales (Stichter, et al, 2016). Es más, las investigaciones cada vez apoyan más el efecto bidireccional de dirigir la intervención hacia FE o hacia la competencia social, pues diferentes trabajos han observado que las intervenciones en las competencias sociales en adolescentes mejoran las FE y las competencias sociales (Stichter et al, 2010;Isquith et al, 2014;Stichter, OConnor, Herzog, Lierheimer y McGhee, 2012;Stichter, Christ, Herzog, ODonnell, y OConnor, 2016 Hasta el momento la literatura ha establecido la asociación entre los déficits ejecutivos y los síntomas centrales del TDAH con el déficit social, pero no son muchos los estudios que han investigado sobre los mecanismos específicos existentes entre estas variables (Huang-Pollock et al 2009;Kofler et al, 2011;Rinsky y Hinshaw, 2011;Tseng y Gau 2013;Bunford, Brandt, Golden, et al, 2014). …”

“…Deficient working memory in children with ADHD may contribute to this result; in fact, several recent studies specifically link working memory deficits to social problems in ADHD (Kofler et al, 2011; and to difficulty remembering social conversations (Huang-Pollock et al, 2009). We speculate that the Chat Room Task requires children to attend to fast-paced information presented by four peers at once (a realistic simulation of real-life group conversations), and then hold the obtained information in memory long enough to be able to generate a socially skilled response.…”