Brain-training helped working memory but did little for ADHD symptoms

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   759 children and teenagers aged 3 to 18 took part, across 15 trials. All of them had ADHD or scored high on an ADHD rating scale.

2. 02

   What they did

   Most trials used computer exercises that got harder as children improved. Training lasted about six weeks, or nine for trials that trained several skills.

3. 03

   What happened

   Working memory improved on lab tests, but reading and maths scores did not. ADHD symptoms improved when people close to the child rated them. With raters who probably did not know who had training, symptoms improved only a little.

What the review found

1. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 14 trials, brain-training lowered ADHD symptoms more when people close to the child did the rating.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 14 studies · vs a similar activity, usual treatment or nothing · they rated themselves

2. HelpedOther outcomes

   Across 11 trials, brain-training cut ADHD symptoms a little when raters probably did not know who had it.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 11 studies · vs a similar activity, usual treatment or nothing · they rated themselves

3. HelpedFocus

   Across 8 trials, brain-training raised working memory scores on lab tests more than the other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 8 studies · vs a similar activity, usual treatment or nothing

4. No differenceGoals

   Across 5 trials, brain-training did not raise reading or maths scores more than the other groups did.

   • Action: Train attention and memory with exercisestested

   Pooled analysis of 5 studies · vs a similar activity, usual treatment or nothing

Source