Stimulant medication is the most common treatment for ADD/ADHD, but about 60-65% of cases persist into adulthood. Short-acting stimulants have the highest abuse potential, with 46% of adults with ADHD using them and nearly 80% of patients abusing them. There is interest in alternative treatments due to concerns about side effects and stigma of behavioral therapy. Recent research has investigated brain training games to improve cognition, with some studies finding they can enhance memory, attention, and executive functions in both young and old. The proposed study will examine whether brain training games targeted at improving attention are effective for adults with ADD/ADHD by comparing pre- and post-training Stroop test attention scores between those

1. Jasmine Jensen

2. Stimulant medication most used treatment for ADD/ADHD (Dryer,
Kiernan, & Tyson, 2011).
In 60%-65% of cases, symptoms persist into adulthood (Retz et al.,
2012).
Abuse potential: Short-acting stimulants most frequently abused
(Mao, Babcock, & Brams, 2011).
46% of adults with ADHD use short-acting stimulants. 79.8% of
patients abused short-acting stimulants. Does not include non-
patient abuse.

3. Desire for alternatives. Behavioral therapy often stigmatized
(Bussing et al., 2011, p. 98). Herbal and homeopathic treatments lack
supporting evidence for their effectiveness.
Concern about stimulant side effects (2011).
Brain training games have been a recent source of research
interest.

4. Glenn E. Smith, found that a rigorous brain training regimen
produced significant improvements in memory and attention
(Owen, 2010).
“Brain Age” had a significant effect on participants’ executive
functions and processing speed in the elderly (Nouchi et al., 2012).
Brain training games do not generalize to overall cognitive
ability but increase cognitive performance in the specific task
being trained (Hackley, 2011).
Stevens and Bavelier (2012) used brain training games targeted
for attention skills and suggested using training in place of
medication.

5. Poor attention is prominent in ADD and ADHD. Brain training
games selected for improving attention could help those with
ADD/ADHD as it does for those without the conditions.
Brain training games directed toward improving attention
could increase attention capabilities in people with
ADD/ADHD.
Independent variables: 1. ADD/ADHD or not
2. before and after scores
Dependent variable: Stroop test attention score

6. Participants
- Adults at FPU. Half with ADD/ADHD and half with no history
of a psychiatric condition.
- Treated within APA ethical guidelines.
- Recruitment: Sign-up sheets
Personal invitation
Poster advertisements

7. Apparatus
- Nintendo DS handheld game system and “Brain Age.”
- Specific game: “Number Cruncher”

8. Procedures
1. All participants administered Stroop test for base attention
score.
2. Supervised brain training 1x/day, 5x/week (Mon-Fri), for 10
min, over the course of 4 weeks.
3. Stroop test re-administered for attention score after training.

11. Bussing, R., Koro-Ljungberg, M., Noguchi, K., Mason, D., Mayerson, G., & Garvan, C. W. (2012). Willingness to
use ADHD treatments: A mixed methods study of perceptions by adolescents, parents, health professionals
and teachers. Social Science & Medicine, 74(1), 92-100. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.10.009
Dryer, R., Kiernan, M. J., & Tyson, G. A. (2012). Parental and professional beliefs on the treatment and
management of ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 16(5), 398-405. doi:10.1177/1087054710392540
Hackley, D. (2011). Coach your cortex: Is 'brain training' a sales con or evidence-based exercise? The
Psychologist, 24(8), 586-589.
Mao, A.R., Babcock, T., & Brams, M. (2011). ADHD in adults: Current treatment trends with consideration of abuse
potential of medications. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 17(4), 241-250.
Stevens, C., & Bavelier, D. (2012). The role of selective attention on academic foundations: A cognitive
neuroscience perspective. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 2(Suppl 1), S30-S48.
doi:10.1016/j.dcn.2011.11.001
Owen, A. (2010). Game theory: Cognitive retraining gets another midterm. Annals of Neurology, 68(2), A13-A14.
Retz, W., Rösler, M., Ose, C., Scherag, A., Alm, B., Philipsen, A., Fischer, R., Ammer, R., & The Study Group.
(2012). Multiscale assessment of treatment efficacy in adults with ADHD: A randomized placebo-controlled,
multi-centre study with extended-release methylphenidate. The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry, 13, 48-59.
doi: 10.3109/15622975.2010.540257
Nouchi, R., Taki, Y., Takeuchi, H., Hashizume, H., Akitsuki, Y., Shigemune, Y., ... Kawashima, R. (2012). Brain
training game improves executive functions and processing speed in the elderly: A randomized controlled trial.
Plos ONE, 7(1), doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029676