Effect of Attention Games and Cognitive Rehabilitation on Attention and Cognitive Functions of Children with ADHD

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric disorders and psychological problems in children referred to psychiatric clinics. The purpose of the present study was to address the effect of attentional games, cognitive rehabilitation, and mixed practice on attention and cognitive functions of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

A quasi-experimental study was conducted with pre-test and post-test design. To this purpose, 40 children aged 9-12 years old with attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder were selected and randomly assigned into four groups of Cognitive Rehabilitation training, attentional games, mixed practice, and control. In the pre-test, each participant performed the tests for working memory (N-Back test), sustained attention (continuous performance test), and executive functions (London Tower test). Participants practiced for 16 sessions (each session for 60 minutes), according to their grouping Test on working memory, attention, and cognitive functions. After the last training session, participants performed the post-test which included the re-run of the tests for working memory (N-Back test), attention (continuous performance test), and executive functions (London Tower test).

The findings showed that in the variable of executive functions, working memory and attention, the mixed group approximately outperformed the two other experimental groups in all subtests (p <0.05), but the other groups did not differ significantly (p <0.05).

Mixed group in almost all subscales led to improved working memory, attention, and executive functions of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. These results were interpreted according to the usage of profits of two other practice conditions during mixed practice.