Computerized Attention Training and Inattentive ADHD

A new study published in the Psychopharmacology Bulletin concludes that 10 weeks of a Brain Computer Attention program can help the inattention of ADHD. The children in this study received 20 sessions of brain training over a 10-week period. They were tested before and after the training for levels of inattentiveness. Parents and teachers rated the participants as more attentive after the 20 sessions of training. None of the students in this study had ever been medicated.

My inattentive son has been doing a brain attention computer program called AttenGo this summer. He hates the program and reports that it is incredibly boring. I have watched the exercises and they do indeed appear to be very difficult to pay attention to but perhaps that is because we are both inattentive. I chose AttenGo because it cost only $300.00 vs. the $1500.00 that most of the other programs cost. I cannot say that I have seen much of a difference in his inattention but a difference would be difficult to gauge in the summer when he has very little to do besides whatever he wants to do.

Studies performed on the effects of brain training have mostly showed improvement in ADHD's inattentive symptoms but they have also shown that once you stop the training the improvements go away. Maybe the key is to just have adults and children with ADHD do 20 minutes of brain exercises daily.

These brain-training exercises have been shown to improve memory, IQ and concentration in people without ADHD as well. Maybe brain-training is a good idea of everyone!





Psychopharmacology Bulletin. 2010;43(1):73-82.

Effectiveness of a Brain-Computer Interface Based Programme for the Treatment of ADHD: A Pilot Study.

Lim CG, Lee TS, Guan C, Sheng Fung DS, Cheung YB, Teng SS, Zhang H, Krishnan KR.




6 comments:

  1. My son has been doing Attengo for about 4 months, and I've yet to notice a functional difference even though his scores are improving. I'm curious to see how they measured the improved attention and whether there was carryover into other non computerized activity. I guess I have to read the study. The slp that we work with reported to us that she has had one patient come off stimulants after a year of the program.

    One thing I like about attnego is that it also seems to work on visual tracking which is a problem for my 10 year old.

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  2. My eldest son also has had issues with visual tracking so it is good that he is doing this program. I will be curious to see if his attention is improved when school begins at the end of August. Thanks so much for your comment!

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  3. I am a mother to a son with ADHD-combined and LD-NOS; I know that memory, attention, and focus are at the root of his learning difficulties. He has been doing a program called JungleMemory which is said to help with working memory. He's only four weeks into the program thus I haven't yet noticed any changes.

    Please keep us posted on your son's experience with AttenGo. Visual tracking is also a problem for my son.

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  4. My son has found the Attengo to be incredibly boring, tedious, and he has hated this activity tremendously. I cannot say that I have noticed any difference in his attention. I wish I could recommend this program as it is affordable, easy to install and you can start on the program immediately.

    I will keep looking because I think the Attengo is not the answer for my inattentive son.

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  5. How did your son end up doing with AttenGo? Were you able to find something better for him?

    I paid for membership but have not been able to login. I have contacted Support a couple of times, but still have not received a reply. Has anybody else had problems with the AttenGo program or support?

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  6. The Attengo was a bust at my house. My son hated every second of it. It was not in the least bit helpful or engaging. Luminosity has better computerized training and it costs as little as $7 per month.

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