Inhibitory Control Training Improves Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Externalizing Behavior

Treating Executive Function in Youth With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Review of Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Interventions

INTRODUCTION

Executive function (EF) deficits are common in youth with ADHD and pose significant functional impairments. The extent and effect of interventions addressing EF in youth with ADHD remain unclear.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Included studies were randomized controlled trials of interventions to treat EF in youth with ADHD.

RESULTS

Our search returned 136 studies representing 11,443 study participants. We identified six intervention categories: nonstimulant pharmacological (N = 3,576 participants), neurological (N = 1,935), psychological (N = 2,387), digital (N = 2,416), physiological (N = 680), and combination (N = 366). The bulk of the evidence supported pharmacological interventions as most effective in mitigating EF, followed by psychological and digital interventions.

CONCLUSION

A breadth of treatments exists for EF in youth with ADHD. Pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and digital interventions had the most favorable, replicable outcomes. A lack of outcome standardization across studies limited treatment comparison. More data on the persistence of intervention effects are necessary.

Effect of Cognitive Training Programs Based on Computer Systems on Executive Functions in Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the existing literature reporting the effects of computerized cognitive trainings on the executive functions of children with ADHD.

METHOD

A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA statement; the primary sources used were five electronic databases (Scopus, Science Direct, Pubmed, Springer, Taylor & Francis).

RESULTS

20 articles met the eligibility criteria, data on the training characteristics and the effects on executive functions were extracted, followed by an analysis of bias and the methodological quality of the studies. The results of the studies were widely heterogeneous, largely associated with the variety of training programs and the measurement instruments used. The most studied executive functions were working memory and inhibitory control. Some of the studies reported that the intervention led to significant effects on working memory and attention (N = 7), and improvements in inhibitory control (N = 5) and planning (N = 4) were also reported. At the same time, others did not report the effects of the intervention on these processes. The assessment of the quality of the evidence showed important risk biases among the reviewed studies.

CONCLUSION

Some training based on computer systems showed positive effects on the executive functions of working memory, attention, and inhibitory control in children with ADHD. However, other training sessions did not show significant effects. In general, the evidence shows mixed results, a high diversity of measurement instruments, and high risks of bias between the studies. Therefore, the evidence has not been consistent about the general benefits of computerized training on the executive functions of children with ADHD.

Developmental trajectory of hot and cold executive functions in children with and without attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

BACKGROUND

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a delayed development. Two main cognitive models of ADHD are executive (cold) and motivational (hot) models. In this study, we aimed to compare the development of hot and cold executive functions in children with and without ADHD.

METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Forty-six children with ADHD symptoms (56% boys) and forty-four typically developing controls (54% boys), in three age groups of 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12 years, were participated in the study. Go/No-Go Task (GNGT), One-Back Test (OBT) and Shifting Attention Test (SAT), Delay Discounting Test (DDT) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were used for assessment.

OUTCOMES AND RESULTS

Children with ADHD showed lower performance in GNG, OBT, SAT, and BART, but intact performance in DDT. The tasks' performance was significantly different between three age groups in GNG and SAT, but similar in OBT and BART. The interaction effect was significant only for the BART measures.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Children with ADHD compared to typically developing children, experience impaired hot and cold executive functions. The cognitive delay was found only in risky decision making as a hot executive function.