Jasmine Jensen

The Effect of a Brain Training Game on ADD/ADHD Attention Symptoms

Stimulant medication most used treatment for ADD/ADHD (Dryer, Kiernan,

& Tyson, 2011).In 60%-65% of cases, symptoms persist into adulthood (Retz et al., 2012).

Abuse potential: Short-acting stimulants most frequently abused (Mao, Babcock, & Brams, 2011).

46% of adults with ADHD use short-acting stimulants. 79.8% of patients abused short-acting stimulants. Does not include non-patient abuse.

Literature Review

Desire for alternatives. Behavioral therapy often stigmatized (Bussing et al.,

2011, p. 98). Herbal and homeopathic treatments lack supporting evidence for their effectiveness.

Concern about stimulant side effects (2011).

Brain training games have been a recent source of research interest.

Literature Review

Glenn E. Smith, found that a rigorous brain training regimen produced significant improvements in memory and attention (Owen, 2010).

“Brain Age” had a significant effect on participants’ executive functions and processing speed in the elderly (Nouchi et al., 2012).

Brain training games do not generalize to overall cognitive ability but increase cognitive performance in the specific task being trained (Hackley, 2011).

Stevens and Bavelier (2012) used brain training games targeted for attention skills and suggested using training in place of medication.

Literature Review

Poor attention is prominent in ADD and ADHD. Brain training games selected for improving attention could help those with ADD/ADHD as it does for those without the conditions.

Brain training games directed toward improving attention could increase attention capabilities in people with ADD/ADHD.

Independent variables: 1. ADD/ADHD or not 2. before and after scores

Dependent variable: Stroop test attention score

Hypothesis

Participants- Adults at FPU. Half with ADD/ADHD and half with no history of a psychiatric condition.

- Treated within APA ethical guidelines.- Recruitment: Sign-up sheets

Personal invitation Poster advertisements

Method

Apparatus- Nintendo DS handheld game system and “Brain Age.”- Specific game: “Number Cruncher”

Method

Procedures1. All participants administered

Stroop test for base attention score.2. Supervised brain training 1x/day,

5x/week (Mon-Fri), for 10 min, over the course of 4 weeks.

3. Stroop test re-administered for attention score after training.

Method

Bussing, R., Koro-Ljungberg, M., Noguchi, K., Mason, D., Mayerson, G., & Garvan, C. W. (2012). Willingness to use ADHD treatments: A mixed methods study of perceptions by adolescents, parents, health professionals and teachers. Social Science & Medicine, 74(1), 92-100. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.10.009

Dryer, R., Kiernan, M. J., & Tyson, G. A. (2012). Parental and professional beliefs on the treatment and management of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 16(5), 398-405. doi:10.1177/1087054710392540

Hackley, D. (2011). Coach your cortex: Is 'brain training' a sales con or evidence-based exercise? The Psychologist, 24(8), 586-589.

Mao, A.R., Babcock, T., & Brams, M. (2011). ADHD in adults: Current treatment trends with consideration of abuse potential of medications. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 17(4), 241-250.

Stevens, C., & Bavelier, D. (2012). The role of selective attention on academic foundations: A cognitive neuroscience perspective. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2(Suppl 1), S30-S48. doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2011.11.001

Owen, A. (2010). Game theory: Cognitive retraining gets another midterm. Annals of Neurology, 68(2), A13-A14.Retz, W., Rösler, M., Ose, C., Scherag, A., Alm, B., Philipsen, A., Fischer, R., Ammer, R., &

The Study Group. (2012). Multiscale assessment of treatment efficacy in adults with ADHD: A randomized placebo-controlled, multi-centre study with extended-release methylphenidate. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 13, 48-59. doi: 10.3109/15622975.2010.540257

Nouchi, R., Taki, Y., Takeuchi, H., Hashizume, H., Akitsuki, Y., Shigemune, Y., ... Kawashima, R. (2012). Brain training game improves executive functions and processing speed in the elderly: A randomized controlled trial. Plos ONE, 7(1), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029676

References