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Does executive function capacity moderate the outcome of executive function training in children with ADHD?

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ADHD Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders

A Correction to this article was published on 21 June 2019

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Abstract

Executive functioning (EF) training interventions aimed at ADHD-symptom reduction have limited results. However, EF training might only be effective for children with relatively poor EF capacity. This randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study examined whether pre-training EF capacity moderates the outcome of an EF-training intervention on measures of near transfer (EF performance) and far transfer (ADHD symptoms and parent-rated EF behavior) immediately after treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Sixty-one children with ADHD (aged 8–12) were randomized either to an EF-training condition where working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility were trained, or to a placebo condition. Single moderation models were used. All significant moderation outcomes had small effect sizes. After Bonferroni correction, there were no significant moderators of treatment outcome. Children with poor EF capacity do not benefit more from EF training than from placebo training. Training only EF-impaired children will probably not improve outcomes of EF training studies.

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  • 21 June 2019

    The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The captions of Figures 1 and 2 were swapped.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Jeugdriagg Noord Holland Zuid, GGz Noord Holland Noord (Centrum voor Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie), Regionaal Centrum voor Kinder en Jeugdpsychiatrie Gooi en Vechtstreek (RCKJP), Bosman GGz, Stichting De Praktijk, Stichting Kram, PuntP, Academisch Behandelcentrum UvA Minds, and Kinderpraktijk VIS, to multimedia company ShoSho for the gamification of Brian Game Brian, to Hilde Huizenga and Joost Agelink van Rentergem Zandvliet for their comments and statistical advice, to Marloes van der Arend, Tim van den Broek, Josje de Bont, Annette Brouwer, Tycho Dekkers, Lucie van den Eertwegh, Rebecca Goedee, Roza van der Heide, Lisanne Klink, Astrid Nauta, Inge Meulenberg, Muriël Musa, Pascale Riaskoff, Elise Tilma, Marije Voermans, Ida de Vries, and Pamina Warmbrunn for their help with data collection, and to all participating children and families.

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Correspondence to Saskia Van der Oord.

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S.D., S.VDO and M.M. declare no competing interests relating to this paper. P.J.M.P. was member of Stichting Gaming & Training (until 2017), a nonprofit organization that facilitates the development and implementation of the above-mentioned EF training; “Braingame Brian.”

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The original version of this article was revised: The captions of Figures 1 and 2 were swapped.

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Dovis, S., Maric, M., Prins, P.J.M. et al. Does executive function capacity moderate the outcome of executive function training in children with ADHD?. ADHD Atten Def Hyp Disord 11, 445–460 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-019-00308-5

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