The Effectiveness of Cognitive Rehabilitation Training on Working Memory of Hyperactive Adults - with Attention Deficit

Introduction: Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder in adults often occurs with problems related to executive functions such as working memory. The present study was conducted in 2016 to determine the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation training on the working memory of adults with ADHD. Method: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest-follow-up design with a control group. The statistical population included all students aged 20-40 years with ADHD in Islamic Azad University, Zanjan Branch in 2021. The sample consisted of 24 students who were selected by purposive sampling and randomly divided into two groups of experimental (n = 12) and control (n = 12). Research instruments including demographic questionnaire, hyperactivity rating scale with adult attention deficit Barclay (2011) and Wechsler memory test (1941) were used. Cognitive rehabilitation training consisted of 18 software training exercises and 12 manual exercises (pencil-paper) focusing on memory, attention, inhibition, and mind-reading, which were presented to the experimental group in 15 sessions of 45 minutes. The collected data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS (version 24) software. Results: The results showed that cognitive rehabilitation training on working memory had a significant effect on verbal learning, visual memory, repetition of numbers, and logical memory in adults with ADHD with attention deficit in the experimental group compared to the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion: The results showed the effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation training on the working memory of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Therefore, clinical psychologists and therapists can use cognitive rehabilitation along with other treatments to improve the working memory of adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.