John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
John Taylor, Professor of Economics at Stanford University and developer of the "Taylor Rule" for setting interest rates | Stanford University
After teachers explain an assignment, children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may find it challenging to act on those instructions. This difficulty can affect their academic performance. "When you hear something from a teacher, you need to maintain the information in your brain, then process it and make decisions based on what you heard," said Stanford Medicine cognitive neuroscientist Hadi Hosseini, PhD.
Hosseini's team has been researching a technique to help children with ADHD improve their working memory. The research was led by Hosseini, Ali Rahimpour Jounghani, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in psychiatry, and Elveda Gozdas, PhD, an instructor in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Their study indicates that a portable brain imaging tool can give children real-time feedback on their brain activity during cognitive tasks. Children wore a cap that uses infrared light to monitor blood oxygen levels as an indicator of brain activity. In the study, 21 children completed a 12-week program and were compared to 15 children in a control group receiving standard ADHD treatment.
Most participants who finished the program showed improved task performance requiring working memory. About half also reported improvements in ADHD symptoms according to a standard questionnaire. Hosseini noted that this approach might benefit other neuropsychiatric conditions too.
"We're trying to address deficits in executive function," said Hosseini about why they focused on working memory for children with ADHD. Executive function deficits are common in various mental health conditions such as autism and depression.
The research utilized neurofeedback by providing real-time brain imaging data to help individuals consciously control their brain function. At the start of the study, each child's brain was scanned to identify low activation areas within their prefrontal cortex. Each session involved wearing a cap that sends and receives infrared light for monitoring changes in blood oxygen levels as they performed memory tasks.
"We need treatments that deal with the varied ways that psychiatric disorders manifest in the brain," emphasized Hosseini regarding the importance of personalized interventions.
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy technology is highlighted as cheaper and more portable than traditional methods like functional MRI. "We have a prototype for a functional near-infrared spectroscopy headband and tablet we’re developing that kids can use at home," added Hosseini about future developments.
"There aren’t any approved medications for improving working memory," stated Hosseini regarding his excitement about this intervention's potential impact on children's neurodevelopment.
This story was originally published by Stanford Medicine.
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