Comparison of the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive rehabilitation after drug therapy on executive brain functions of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A clinical trial study

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a development nervous disorder that it is usually caused by a defect in the executive functions of the brain and reduces the amount of attention, accuracy, and increased mobility and impulsive behaviors in the individual. This study was performed to determine the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive rehabilitation after drug therapy on the executive functions of brains of childrens with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

In this clinical trial study, 45 children with ADHD were randomly divided into three groups including one control and two intervention groups, were monitored by the education counseling center. Intervention group one (cognitive rehabilitation) and intervention group two (cognitive rehabilitation after medication) were received therapeutic intervention for 12 sessions of 45 minutes, twice a week. No intervention was performed for the control group. After the last treatment session, a post-test was performed. The follow-up phase took place 1.5 months after the end of the last intervention session.

The executive functions of the brains of children with cognitive impairment in the cognitive rehabilitation group and the cognitive rehabilitation group after drug therapy showed a significant increase in comparison with the control group (P<0.05). The executive functions of fertilizer after 1.5 months of follow-up in the cognitive rehabilitation group after drug therapy were higher than in the cognitive rehabilitation group (P<0.05).

Cognitive rehabilitation therapy after drug therapy was more effective in treating increased executive functions of the brain in children with cognitive impairment than cognitive rehabilitation therapy alone.