Working memory (WM) refers to the information processing system that is responsible for the maintenance plus manipulation of information. WM is necessary for the performance of complex tasks, such as reasoning and comprehension. Until relatively recently, WM capacity was thought to be a fixed trait of the individual. However, research findings on the effects of WM training programs have demonstrated otherwise. Therefore, this dissertation examined the impact of WM training in college students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Learning Disabilities (LD), two neuro-developmental disorders in which WM is impaired. The main objectives of this dissertation were to investigate training gains on the WM training program itself, transfer effects, and 2-month maintenance effects. College students with ADHD/LD, all of whom were registered with student disability services, were randomized to either the WM training program or a wait-list control group. Those who received WM training showed significantly greater improvements in the criterion WM measures (WAIS-IV Digit Span, CANTAB Spatial Span) and self-reported fewer ADHD symptoms and daily cognitive failures, compared to the control group. Analysis of participants who completed the follow-up assessment indicated that the gains in WM were maintained for at least 2 months after training. The dissertation is presented in four chapters. The introduction provides a broad overview of the research on WM, ADHD/LD, and WM training. The second chapter expands upon the methods used in the current study. The third chapter consists of a manuscript that will be submitted for publication. The fourth and final chapter summarizes the findings of the current study and discusses its implications for future research and clinical practice.

ADHD är en vanlig neuropsykiatrisk funktionsnedsättning hos barn och vuxna. Majoriteten av all forskning är baserad på den manliga populationen och okunskapen kring hur ADHD yttrar sig bland kvinnor gör att deras svårigheter tenderar att förbises. Kvinnor får generellt såväl diagnos som behandling senare än män. Mer kunskap om hur ADHD yttrar sig hos kvinnor krävs för att tidigare kunna diagnosticera och erbjuda adekvat vård. Syftet med föreliggande studie är att belysa upplevelser hos kvinnor med ADHD. Detta gjordes genom tolv semistrukturerade intervjuer. Genom en tematisk analys framkom sju teman; symtom i vardagen, relationer, normer, att inte bli sedd, att få diagnos, relaterande till sina styrkor och svagheter samt omgivningens oförståelse. Resultaten vittnar om att kvinnorna upplevt sig missförstådda och förbisedda då deras ADHD-symtom krockat med könsstereotypa föreställningar om hur man som kvinna bör agera. En diskussion förs kring hur ett vidgat synsätt på ADHD kan tänkas öka förståelsen för kvinnors svårigheter och förhoppningsvis leda till att de tidigare erhåller stöd.

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Background/Purpose: ADHD is frequently associated with functional deficits across social, familial, and academic contexts (Pelham, 2005). Children with ADHD and internalizing symptoms typically experience higher levels of functional impairment compared to their counterparts with exclusively ADHD (Bishop et al., 2019). Positive parenting practices and child strengths have been found to play a protective role for children with ADHD (Healy et al., 2011; McCrimmon et al., 2018). This study aims to investigate the influence of internalizing symptoms on functional impairment for children with ADHD. Child strengths and parenting strengths have been examined to identify moderating effects of the aforementioned constructs. Methods: Data were collected in a community mental health centre using the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths questionnaire (CANS) and the Child Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Participants included 209 children and their caregivers seeking mental health services between the ages of 5 and 11 with an ADHD diagnosis. To examine the moderating effects of parenting and child strengths, ordinary least squares regression models were tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS (v3.5; Hayes, 2018). Results: Results suggest that levels of internalizing symptoms influence functional impairment in children with ADHD. Child strengths moderate the relationship between internalizing symptoms and functional impairment when internalizing symptoms are medium to high. Conclusion: Findings from this study demonstrate that facilitating child strengths can help moderate functional impairment for children who experience ADHD and internalizing symptoms.

Socioemotional factors may greatly contribute to the way a child learns and interacts with their environment. Early elementary school has proven to be a significant period of development for foundational reading skills. For children of color, specifically Latino students, there are few studies that examine the relationship between sociodemographic variables such as ethnicity and gender, with challenging behaviors such as inattention and hyperactivity. This interaction is evaluated using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) in order to gauge the impact on reading achievement. Additionally, these relationships are explored with a cohort of Latino students (n=89) to determine whether Latino children are adequately rated for the presentation of inattentive and or hyperactive behaviors. This study then explores these interactions further with a diverse cohort of Latino, Black, Asian, and White students (n=274) and aims to discuss the implications for educational outcomes and development. Of particular interest, is the exploration of the achievement gap between children of different backgrounds as early elementary school may provide a critical window of intervention. / 2023-05-29T00:00:00Z

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Objective: The aim of this paper was to review all randomized published trials and unpublished conference presentations on the neurofeedback (NF) treatment of pediatric ADHD, and their relevance, strengths, and limitations. Method: Via PsychInfo and Medline searches and contacts with NF researchers 14 studies were identified and reviewed. Results: The majority were conducted from 1994 to 2010, with 5- to 15-year-olds, usually male and White with the combined type of ADHD. Most studies used theta/beta NF with a unipolar-electrode placement at Cz and demonstrated, where reported, an overall ADHD mean effect size of d = 0.69, a medium effect. Main study strengths, within some studies, include use of randomization, treatment control conditions, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria, evidence-based assessment of ADHD, standard treatment outcome measures, multidomain assessment, and, for some studies, moderate sample size, some type of blind and the identification of medication as a concomitant treatment. Main study limitations (and directions for future research) include the lack of adequate blinding of participants, raters and NF trainers, a sham-NF/blinded control treatment condition, posttreatment follow-up, generalizability, specific details about delivery of NF, identification and control of comorbidity, and the identification, measurement, and control of concomitant treatments and potential side effects. Conclusion: Based on the results and methodologies of published studies, this review concludes that NF for pediatric ADHD can be currently considered as "probably efficacious."

The purpose of this study was to investigate the life of one child who has been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The definition of ADHD has become very broad and many children are being treated according to the label of ADHD. This study investigated the life of one eight year old boy from conception until present in order to understand the child as an individual. The research was framed in developmental contextualism and developmentally appropriate practice in a case study approach. In depth interviews and observations formed the data for the case. The study case demonstrated the need to focus on the child as an individual, and not just the label of ADHD. Recommendations were made for parenting and teaching, as well as for future research. / Master of Science

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the fastest growing mental disorders in the United States. More children are being diagnosed than ever before, and many of these individuals are finding that at least one other emotional, behavioral, or mental disorder often accompanies ADHD (including psychopathy). The number of individuals in the prison population with both ADHD and psychopathy is on the rise. Because of these increases, including what is being seen in the prison population, this study aimed to identify if there was a relationship between ADHD and psychopathy in the general population, and if there were specific maternal prenatal behaviors that may increase the likelihood of this relationship. This study used a survey composed of both the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scales assessment, the Carlson Psychological Survey assessment, and additional demographic questions to gather data. Social media groups specific to ADHD were used to recruit a convenience sample of 88 participants who endorsed symptoms of ADHD. A quantitative analysis was conducted to explore the degree of the relationship between ADHD and psychopathy in the general population who endorsed symptoms of ADHD. Additionally, this study used a multiple linear regression to determine if maternal nicotine, alcohol, or drug consumption had any effect on the degree of this relationship. Results indicated that there was not a statistically significant relationship between ADHD and psychopathy in the general population, unlike what is seen in the prison population. However, even though the finding were not statistically significant, there are still implications for future research and evidence that the social stigma around ADHD and delinquent behaviors is inaccurate.

This study examined the relationship between parent-rated attention problems, anxiety, and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms and children’s performance on various attention domains, including selective, sustained, and divided attention and executive functioning, specifically related to set-shifting and inhibition abilities. A dimensional approach to symptom presentation was used in order to measure attention and anxiety symptoms in a continuous fashion and to better incorporate children who have subclinical and mild presentations (Ferrin & Vance, 2014). Participants were 27 children between 8 and 14 years of age who were recruited in a rural area near a large public university located in the Midwest. Children were administered the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch; Manly, Robertson, Anderson, & Nimmo-Smith, 1999) and the Self-Report of Personality form from the Behavior Assessment System for Children – Second Edition (BASC-2; Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2004). Parents completed a brief demographics form and the Parent Rating Scale form from the BASC-2. Results were based on a small sample size due to difficulty with recruitment. No effects of parent or self-reported anxiety, attention, and/or hyperactivity symptoms were associated with aspects of selective attention or attentional control/executive functioning. Anxiety symptoms per parent-report predicted some aspects of sustained attention performance. Self-reported symptoms of anxiety and their interaction with both attention problems and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms significantly predicted divided attention performance. Given the positive correlations between symptoms of anxiety and performance on some of the attention measures, symptoms of anxiety may be a protective factor for aspects of sustained and divided attention. These results suggest that assessment of attention performance among children presenting with symptoms of anxiety and attention problems/hyperactivity should be an area for further research with a larger sample size and additional measures of attention.