注意力缺陷障碍成年人的空间工作记忆和策略形成的研究毕业论文外文翻译.docx

1、注意力缺陷障碍成年人的空间工作记忆和策略形成的研究 毕业论文外文翻译 Spatial working memory and strategy formation in adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder1. Introduction Working memory is defined as a cognitive system that provides temporary storage and manipulation of the information necessary for activiti

2、es such as reasoning, language comprehension and learning (Baddeley, 1992). This process requires the ability to hold information on-line during a brief time until a decision and subsequent response is made (Goldman-Rakic, 1990). It has been postulated that there is a dissociation between basic memo

3、rial requirements of tasks and their executive components which control response selection, e.g. the adoption of an overall strategy or plan, or the utilization of specific attentional inhibitory mechanisms. Thus performance is determined by two factors, one related to short-term spatial memory and

4、the other to strategic factors (Robbins, 1996). Several studies have shown that spatial working memory deficits in patients with frontal lobe excisions may be related to the inefficient use of a particular search strategy (Miotto, Bullock, Polkey, & Morris, 1996; Owen, Downes, Sahakian, Polkey, & Ro

5、bbins,1990; Owen, Morris, Sahakian, Polkey, & Robbins, 1996). This suggests that part of the deficit may arise from executive failure and use of a strategy can reduce the load on memory caused by interference from previous choices. Spatial working memory deficits have been found in studies comparing

6、 ADHD and normal children (Karatekin & Asarnow, 1998; Gorenstein, Mammato, & Sandy, 1989; Shue & Douglas,1992). However, most studies have not considered whether deficits in spatial working memory may be accounted for by problems with strategy formation. The importance of strategy has been considere

7、d in other neurological or psychiatric disorders. For example, strategy formation impairment has been shown to be linked to spatial working memory impairment patients with frontal excisions (Miotto et al., 1996) but not for patients with Aspergers Syndrome (Morriset al., 1999). The current study exp

8、lores spatial working memory deficits and strategy impairment of ADHD adults using the computerised Executive Golf task (cf. Feigenbaum, Polkey, & Morris, 1996), a development of the spatial working memory task designed by Morris et al. (1988). Working memory is of relevance in the investigation of

9、adult ADHD because it is thought to be particularly impaired in relation to other types of psychiatric disorders that have associated neuropsychological deficits (Gallagher & Blader, 2001). This has been explored in a previous study by Dowson et al. (2004) using a different task but a similar method

10、ology. In the Dowson et al. (2004) study the CANTAB method of measuring spatial working memory involves an array of spatial locations on a screen in which the participant has to avoid going back to previously successful locations.They found impairments on return errors and associated poor strategy w

11、hen conducting the tasks. The Executive Golf task is more akin to a real life activity in that, as well measuring spatial working memory it simulates a game of golf, the participant searching for places in which a golferis predicted to putt a ball, avoiding returning to these places during subsequen

12、t searches. The golf holes are presented using three dimensional computer graphics with the golfer presented in the distance. The task has a game-like format, with the golfer putting the balls into the golf holes when a correct golf hole has been selected by the golfer. Performance can be improved u

13、sing the strategy of following a predetermined search sequence, beginning with a particular place and returning to the same place for every new search sequence. The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with ADHD had a spatial working memory deficit in adulthood and to establish wheth

14、er the deficit persisted if a measure of strategy formation was covaried in the analysis. It was hypothesised that ADHD patients would make a greater number of errors in relation to returning to previously successful locations (i.e. between subject errors), and that this deficit would increase with

15、task difficulty.2. Methodology2.1. Participants The study included 27 (21 male, 6 female) adult ADHD patients at the Maudsley Hospital,London UK. All patients met the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD following a full ADHD assessment (see Young & Toone, 2000). The assessment included a comprehensive psychiat

16、ric evaluation which included a semi-structured interview based on the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD. Each positive self-rating had to be endorsed by the assessor on the basis of supplementary questioning or other information (e.g.documentation). Additionally a parent was interviewed to establish whether there was a history of ADHD features during early childhood (i.e. before the age of 7). This judgement was based upon an unstructured interview although in addition, and