Rates of forgetting in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

The present study evaluated rates of forgetting on verbal and nonverbal memory tests in children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Although children with ADHD are known to have poor organizational and attentional problems that may impair memory performance, we hypothesized that savings scores would remain intact, because poor recall reflects difficulty with initial learning versus memory per se. Fifty-seven children diagnosed with ADHD were administered tests of nonverbal memory (Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure) and verbal memory (Story Memory, Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning) as part of a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation. Subjects showed no evidence of rapid forgetting of information across the delay on either nonverbal memory (mean savings score=93%) or verbal memory (mean savings score=88%) tests. Cognitive remediation for children with ADHD should address ways to initiate and execute organizational strategies so that more information is learned upon immediate presentation.