Sensory distraction and heterogeneity in cognitive function in adults with ADHD
ADHD in adults is an understudied area. As children with ADHD grow up, it is common to see a gradual reduction in symptoms and treatment is no longer considered necessary. However, for some, symptoms remain, resulting in continued challenges in managing everyday life, whether it is studying or learning a new profession.
What further complicates the issue is that there are adults with ADHD who never showed any symptoms during childhood, which makes it possible that attentional deficits in adults are partly separate from ADHD as a young person and thus also require different treatment.
The first aim of this project is to examine the current state of research on cognitive interventions for adults with ADHD by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis. To date, a number of studies have been conducted with the aim of training attentional skills using computer-based programs, and we want to find out whether this is a method that generally generates positive effects. Another aim of this project is to more deeply investigate attentional functions in adults with ADHD, with a focus on distraction. How are individuals with ADHD more likely to be distracted than individuals without ADHD? Are there certain types of distractions that are particularly disruptive? For example, when reading a book, is it harder to concentrate with music than with people walking around in the background? We also hope to find out whether any functional differences in adults with ADHD can provide clues for future treatments targeting specific sensory functions and tasks.
Funder: PhD project, 2020 - 2024
Participants: Pia Elbe (Psychology, LTU) Daniel Sörman (Psychology, LTU), Mariana Vega Mendoza (Psychology, LTU), Lars Nyberg (Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University), Jessica K. Ljungberg (Psychology, LTU), Hanna Malmberg Gavelin (Department of Psychology, Umeå University)
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