Hypothetical Effects.

<p>Hypothetical Effects.</p

Descriptive Statistics for Criterion, Near-transfer and Far-transfer measures at pre- and post-test (intent to treat).

<p>* Survived Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons</p><p>Descriptive Statistics for Criterion, Near-transfer and Far-transfer measures at pre- and post-test (intent to treat).</p

Working Memory Training in Post-Secondary Students with ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Study

<div><p>Objectives</p><p>To determine whether standard-length computerized training enhances working memory (WM), transfers to other cognitive domains and shows sustained effects, when controlling for motivation, engagement, and expectancy.</p><p>Methods</p><p>97 post-secondary students (59.8% female) aged 18–35 years with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, were randomized into standard-length adaptive Cogmed WM training (CWMT; 45-min/session), a shortened-length adaptive version of CWMT (15 min/session) that controlled for motivation, engagement and expectancy of change, or into a no training group (waitlist-control group). All three groups received weekly telephone calls from trained coaches, who supervised the CWMT and were independent from the research team. All were evaluated before and 3 weeks post-training; those in the two CWMT groups were also assessed 3 months post-training. Untrained outcome measures of WM included the WAIS-IV Digit Span (auditory-verbal WM), CANTAB Spatial Span (visual-spatial WM) and WRAML Finger Windows (visual-spatial WM). Transfer-of-training effects included measures of short-term memory, cognitive speed, math and reading fluency, complex reasoning, and ADHD symptoms.</p><p>Results</p><p>Performance on 5/7 criterion measures indicated that shortened-length CWMT conferred as much benefit on WM performance as did standard-length training, with both CWMT groups improving more than the waitlist-control group. Only 2 of these findings remained robust after correcting for multiple comparisons. Follow-up analyses revealed that post-training improvements on WM performance were maintained for at least three months. There was no evidence of any transfer effects but the standard-length group showed improvement in task-specific strategy use.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>This study failed to find robust evidence of benefits of standard-length CWMT for improving WM in college students with ADHD and the overall pattern of findings raise questions about the specificity of training effects.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>ClinicalTrials.gov <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01657721?term=NCT01657721&rank=1" target="_blank">NCT01657721</a></p></div

Participant Characteristics.

<p>^a. Raw scores</p><p>^b. Standardized scores</p><p>^c. Z-score</p><p>^d. Percentile Rank</p><p>^e. T-score. NOTE: ASRS = ADHD Self-Report Scale; WASI = Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence; TOWRE = Test of Word Reading Efficiency; WAIS = Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; CANTAB = Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery; WRAML = Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning; BDEFS = Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale.</p><p>Participant Characteristics.</p

CONSORT Diagram.

<p>CONSORT Diagram.</p

Types of post and follow-up treatment effects for Criterion, Near transfer and Far transfer measures.

<p>^a Withstood Bonferroni correction</p><p>Types of post and follow-up treatment effects for Criterion, Near transfer and Far transfer measures.</p