EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE RETRAINING ON NEUROCOGNITIVE FUNCTIONING IN CHILDREN WITH ATTENTION DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD)

Abstract

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder associated with deficits in attention, working memory, executive functioning, and behavioral regulation. Cognitive retraining has emerged as a promising non pharmacological intervention aimed at improving neurocognitive functioning in children with ADHD.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of cognitive retraining on neurocognitive functioning in children diagnosed with ADHD.

Methods: A prospective interventional pre–post study was conducted among 100 children aged 6–12 years diagnosed with ADHD. Participants underwent structured cognitive retraining sessions for eight weeks targeting attention, working memory, executive functioning, and inhibitory control. Neurocognitive assessments were conducted before and after intervention using standardized assessment tools. Statistical analysis was performed using paired t-test and Repeated Measures ANOVA.

Results: Significant improvement was observed in sustained attention, selective attention, working memory, executive functioning, and processing speed following cognitive retraining (p<0.001). Session-wise accuracy improved progressively from 54.82% to 84.92%. Overall neurocognitive scores increased significantly from 42.84 ± 6.92 to 61.72 ± 6.38 after intervention. Marked clinical improvement was observed in 61% of participants.

Conclusion: Cognitive retraining significantly enhances neurocognitive functioning in children with ADHD and may serve as an effective complementary non-pharmacological intervention for improving cognitive and behavioral outcomes.