the Cogmed Program for Youths With ADHD (ADHDtraining)

Université du Québec a Montréal

Status: Completed

Conditions: ADHD - Combined Type; ADHD

Treatments: Other: Cognitive training Cogmed program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03335748

UQAM 10

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective of this study was to examine the effects of the Cogmed training program on working memory among youths 7 to 13 years old, while controlling presence and presentation of ADHD-related comorbidity. A secondary objective was to examine the generalization of effects to ADHD symptoms, non-verbal reasoning, attentional and executive functions, motor impulsivity, reading comprehension, and mathematical reasoning. Participants were under pharmacological treatment for ADHD combined type and a comorbidity. They were randomized into an experimental group that received the Cogmed program and an active control group that received a low-intensity comparison version of the training. They were evaluated at three time points: six weeks prior to intervention onset (T1), immediately prior to onset(T2), and one week following intervention completion (T3).

Full description

Participants completed the Cogmed WM training program at home.Each training session lasted from 30 to 45 minutes and was supervised by a parent. For five consecutive weeks, participants had to complete at least five sessions per week.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 7 to 13 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• (1) be 7 to 13 years old;(2) had to be diagnosed with ADHD combined type and present a comorbid learning disability, oppositional defiant disorder or Tourette syndrome;and (3) had to be medicated for ADHD,

Exclusion criteria

• Youths were excluded from the study if diagnosed with epilepsy, an internalizing disorder (anxiety or mood disorder), an autism-spectrum disorder or mental retardation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

active control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

The program for the active control group is the same as for the experimental group, except that the degree of difficulty of the exercises remains low and invariable across trials, with three items needing to be recalled throughout.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive training Cogmed program

the Cogmed program

Experimental group

Description:

12 exercises proposed in the Cogmed program. Eight of these target visuospatial WM and four target verbal WM. Eight exercises are preprogrammed for each session, for a total of 90 trials (Pearsons, 2014). The degree of difficulty of the trials increases as a function of the participant's performance. For each trial, the participant receives feedback on their performance.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive training Cogmed program