Revolutionizing ADHD Treatment Through Neuromonitoring Guided Working Memory Interventions

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition affecting 5– 7% of children globally. It manifests through challenges in attention regulation, impulse control, emotional regulation, and executive functioning. Among these, working memory (WM) deficits represent a core feature, significantly impacting learning, social interactions, and daily functioning. A recent study, published in iScience, introduces a groundbreaking neuromonitoring-guided intervention that directly targets these deficits, offering new hope for children with ADHD.

Understanding the Need for Precision in ADHD Interventions

Despite decades of research, current ADHD treatments, such as behavioral therapies and medications, often fail to address the neural mechanisms driving symptoms. While medications provide temporary symptom relief, their effects are not always consistent due to the substantial heterogeneity that exists in ADHD. Research in Stanford’s C-BRAIN Lab (Computational Brain Research & Intervention lab), led by Prof. Hadi Hosseini, aims to fill this gap by using real-time functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to personalize interventions for targeted enhancement of affected brain networks.

Innovative Approach: Merging Neuroscience and Intervention

The team developed an intervention that integrates computerized working memory (WM) training with real-time neuromonitoring and neurofeedback (NFB) for targeted enhancement of WM brain networks. During the 12-session program, children participated in cognitive exercises designed to challenge and improve WM capacity. fNIRS provided real-time feedback on brain activity, enabling children to reinforce their performance based on engagement of key brain regions, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), tailored for each individual.

Read the full article