J Atten Disord. 2024 Jan 4:10870547231218925. doi: 10.1177/10870547231218925. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Executive function (EF) deficits are common in youth with ADHD and pose significant functional impairments. The extent and effect of interventions addressing EF in youth with ADHD remain unclear.

METHODS: We conducted a systematic literature review using PRISMA guidelines. Included studies were randomized controlled trials of interventions to treat EF in youth with ADHD.

RESULTS: Our search returned 136 studies representing 11,443 study participants. We identified six intervention categories: nonstimulant pharmacological (N = 3,576 participants), neurological (N = 1,935), psychological (N = 2,387), digital (N = 2,416), physiological (N = 680), and combination (N = 366). The bulk of the evidence supported pharmacological interventions as most effective in mitigating EF, followed by psychological and digital interventions.

CONCLUSION: A breadth of treatments exists for EF in youth with ADHD. Pharmacological, psychotherapeutic, and digital interventions had the most favorable, replicable outcomes. A lack of outcome standardization across studies limited treatment comparison. More data on the persistence of intervention effects are necessary.

PMID:38178649 | DOI:10.1177/10870547231218925