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Effects of mindfulness and psychoeducation on working memory in adult ADHD: A randomised, controlled fMRI study.

Behaviour research and therapy
July 1, 2018
Katharina Bachmann et al. (11 authors)
Comparative StudyJournal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the effects of an 8-week mindfulness intervention (MAP) on working memory and ADHD symptoms in adults with ADHD, compared to psychoeducation (PE).

Results Summary

Both mindfulness and psychoeducation groups showed significant reductions in ADHD symptoms and improvements in task performance, with no group differences. Mindfulness specifically increased brain activation in regions like the right parietal lobe, bilateral inferior parietal lobule, and right precuneus.

Population

Adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

8 weeks

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
mindfulness
neutral
adult ADHD
adults with ADHD
-
is a promising intervention
#1
mindfulness intervention (MAP)
decrease
ADHD symptoms
adults with ADHD
-
significant decrease
#2
mindfulness intervention (MAP)
increase
task performance
adults with ADHD
-
significant improvement
#3
psychoeducation (PE)
decrease
ADHD symptoms
adults with ADHD
-
significant decrease
#4
psychoeducation (PE)
increase
task performance
adults with ADHD
-
significant improvement
#5
mindfulness intervention (MAP)
increase
task-related activation
adults with ADHD
-
significant increase
#6
mindfulness intervention (MAP)
increase
brain activation
adults with ADHD
-
significant increased
#7
mindfulness intervention (MAP)
decrease
self-rated 'Inattention/Memory Problems'
adults with ADHD
-
decrease
#8
Abstract

Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a serious mental disorder associated with impaired neurocognitive performance related to working memory function. Recent clinical trials have suggested that mindfulness is a promising intervention in adults with ADHD. We performed a randomised controlled clinical trial to investigate working memory (WM) with an n-back task in adults with ADHD during fMRI before and after an 8-week mindfulness intervention (MAP) compared with psychoeducation (PE). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the self- and observer-rated Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS). The complete pre-post data of 21 MAP and 19 PE participants were analysed. We found no group difference in ADHD symptoms or task performance at the pre-measurement, but there was a significant decrease in ADHD symptoms and significant improvement in task performance in both groups at the post-measurement. Furthermore, we found a significant increase in task-related activation in the right parietal lobe, with no difference between groups. Exploratory two-sample paired t-tests revealed significant increased brain activation after MAP in the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, right posterior insula and right precuneus. A decrease in self-rated 'Inattention/Memory Problems' after MAP compared to baseline was associated with stronger activation in parts of the left putamen, globus pallidus and thalamus.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
AdultAttention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityBrainFemaleFunctional NeuroimagingHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMemory, Short-TermMiddle AgedMindfulnessNeuropsychological TestsPatient Education as Topic
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality85/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations33
Citations/Year4.7
Relative Citation Ratio2.14
NIH Percentile76.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.75
Weight Score2.29
Normalized Score0.67
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