{"id":282943,"date":"2010-02-05T14:57:17","date_gmt":"2010-02-05T19:57:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www1.cuny.edu\/mu\/forum\/?p=6382"},"modified":"2010-02-05T14:57:17","modified_gmt":"2010-02-05T19:57:17","slug":"can-improved-working-memory-help-children-with-attention-deficithyperactivity-disorder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/282943","title":{"rendered":"Can Improved Working Memory Help Children With Attention-Deficit\/Hyperactivity Disorder?"},"content":{"rendered":"

– Queens College Recruiting 7- to 11-Year-Old AD\/HD Children for Free Research Study That Uses Memory-Training Exercises and Social Skills Development to Change Behavior –<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

FLUSHING, N.Y., February 1, 2010 \u2013 All of us at one time have forgotten an item on a shopping list in our heads or an important phone number or address.\u00a0 Consider how frustrating and stressful it is for a child who is hyperactive, inattentive or impulsive to forget important information.\u00a0 What if there was a way to strengthen the child\u2019s ability to hold onto information by expanding memory capacity through mental exercises?\u00a0 Would a better working memory make it easier for parents to help develop their children\u2019s social skills and improve their behavior?\u00a0 Would the combination of these two programs lead to improvement in the youngster\u2019s attention span, problem-solving ability and impulse control?<\/p>\n

A new research study and free treatment program at Queens College is seeking answers to these questions. Called Refining Attention Memory and Parenting (RAMP), the program is recruiting families with 7- to 11-year-old children with attention-deficit\/hyperactivity disorder (AD\/HD). RAMP uses home-based, computerized memory-training exercises to enhance a child\u2019s brain development and long-term behavioral functioning without medications like Ritalin and Adderall.<\/p>\n

The National Institute of Mental Health has provided a three-year grant of $697,500 to test the RAMP approach.\u00a0 If preliminary results prove promising, the college will receive additional funding for more advanced study.<\/p>\n

According to QC Psychology Professor Anil Chacko, who is directing the program, AD\/HD is among the most common neurological disorders in American children.\u00a0 Fewer than half of children with the disorder outgrow it; if untreated, it can have long-term adverse effects into adolescence and adulthood.<\/p>\n

\u201cResearch has found that the brain development of children with AD\/HD \u2013 particularly in areas that involve aspects of memory, attention and planning \u2013 is delayed,\u201d Chacko says. \u201cTreatments such as psycho-stimulant drugs or behavioral therapy alone provide short-term, symptomatic relief for AD\/HD, but limited, if any, long-lasting benefits. Our approach is unique because it integrates computerized working-memory training with interventions that target parenting techniques and children\u2019s social skills development. We feel this is a powerful combination that will insure lasting cognitive and behavioral improvements.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the program works:<\/p>\n

Following a comprehensive evaluation, children take part in a computerized memory-training program that has been downloaded to their home computer.\u00a0 Each day for five weeks\u00a0 they spend an hour completing different exercises presented in an entertaining video game format.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One game involves recalling numbers in the reverse order in which they are given.\u00a0 In another, the youngster must remember the sequence in which rows of lights turn on.\u00a0 They use their computer mouse to punch in the answers, earning points along the way.\u00a0 The program stays a step ahead of the child\u2019s ability, making the exercises increasingly more difficult and challenging.\u00a0 The parent serves as a motivational coach, supporting the child to stay on-task.<\/p>\n

After the memory-training portion is over, families attend weekly parenting and child social skills groups at the college for nine weeks to learn strategies to modify and manage their children\u2019s behavior, while the children learn about key social skills. Because the program is expected to enhance academic achievement, the child\u2019s teacher is also required to fill out a set of questionnaires assessing the student\u2019s performance in reading and math before and after the training.\u00a0 Both teachers and parents are reimbursed for their time.<\/p>\n

Families interested in participating in this free evaluation and treatment program should call: 718-997-3248 or Email: contact@chipslab.org. Both parent and child must be fluent in English, and the family must have Internet access at home.\u00a0 To be considered for the study, the child cannot exhibit an autism spectrum disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Besides his affiliation with Queens College, Chacko is an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, as well as a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State with a background in developing and evaluating multi-component psycho-social behavioral interventions for youth with behavioral difficulties.\u00a0 He has received several grants to support his research in such areas as AD\/HD intervention for preschoolers, treatment for single mothers of children with AD\/HD, and prevention of child maltreatment in high-risk populations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere aren\u2019t a lot of services and resources in Queens for children with mental health difficulties,\u201d says Chacko.\u00a0 However, Queens College has built a strong reputation for its outreach to parents whose children have AD\/HD, autism and other neurological disorders.\u00a0 For example, Chacko also works on the Queens College Preschool Project with QC Distinguished Psychology Professor Jeffrey Halperin, who is currently conducting a separate study to determine whether four- and five-year-olds with AD\/HD can change their behavior by playing skill-based games.\u00a0 Halperin has been an active clinical researcher in the area of AD\/HD and child behavior disorders for over two decades.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

For more about Queens College visit http:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/Pages\/default.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n

Contact:<\/strong> Phyllis Cohen Stevens
\nDeputy Director of News Services
\n718-997-5597
\nphyllis.cohen-stevens@qc.cuny.edu<\/a><\/p>\n

Maria Matteo
\nAssistant Director of News Services
\n718-9975593
\nmaria.matteo@qc.cuny.edu<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

– Queens College Recruiting 7- to 11-Year-Old AD\/HD Children for Free Research Study That Uses Memory-Training Exercises and Social Skills Development to Change Behavior – FLUSHING, N.Y., February 1, 2010 \u2013 All of us at one time have forgotten an item on a shopping list in our heads or an important phone number or address.\u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4036,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-282943","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282943","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4036"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=282943"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/282943\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=282943"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=282943"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=282943"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}