Researchers conducted a small study to see if two different cognitive training programs could help preschoolers with ADHD. The study involved 47 children who were randomly assigned to either the ARAM program, the PETRA program, or a control group that did not receive the training. The goal was to see if these programs could improve thinking skills and behavior.
Both training programs showed improvements in areas like paying attention, controlling impulses, remembering things, and managing emotions. The children also showed sustained reductions in their ADHD symptoms. The PETRA program generally showed slightly larger positive effects across different areas of daily life compared to the ARAM program.
It's important to be cautious about these results. The study was small, and the researchers did not report specific numbers for how much symptoms improved. They also did not report any information about safety or side effects from the training. The abstract does not mention the study's limitations.
For now, this research suggests that structured cognitive training might be a helpful approach for young children with ADHD. However, parents and doctors should view this as promising early evidence, not as proof that these specific programs work. More research with more children and longer follow-up is needed.
