Assessment of working memory in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

This research investigated the cognitive abilities and the Working Memory in children and youngsters with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The results of a computerized test called Infant Cognitive Abilities Test (TIHC), that measures five cognitive abilities (1- inductive reasoning (IR), 2- auditory short-term memory (AM), 3- visual short-term memory (VM), 4- auditory working memory (AWM) and 5- visual working memory (VWM)) based on the Cattell-Horn-Carroll model. Thirty-two children from both sexes, aged between 7 and 15 years, from the Hospital das Clínicas-SEPIA-USP, suffering from ADHD and a control group of thirty children from a State Elementary School were submitted to the test. The results showed that there are significant differences regarding the working memory of the different types of ADHD. Children suffering from ADHD had high test scores for the visual memory items of the test when compared to the results in the auditory memory items. In the computerized TIHC the reaction time of the short-term visual memory test showed a significant correlation with the mathematic test variable.