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Feature Binding and Working Memory in Children with ADHD: Evidence of Episodic Buffer Impairment

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Abstract

Previous examinations of working memory impairments in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have predominantly focused on discreet visuospatial and phonological subsystem processes, as well as the domain-general central executive. The episodic buffer component of working memory, a neurocognitive process that allows for temporary storage and maintenance of bound episodes/features of information, is understudied in ADHD and initial findings have been equivocal. Heterogeneity in previous findings may reflect between-study methodological variability, floor effects unrelated to episodic buffer processes (i.e., excessive central executive demands), and limitations associated with previous investigations’ use of novel paradigms. This study examined ADHD-related episodic buffer processing via an established paradigm (Allen et al., 2006) in well-defined groups of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and typically developing peers (TD). Seventy-one children (ADHD n = 34, TD n = 37) aged 8–12 years (M = 9.81, SD = 1.50; 32% female) completed two conditions of a computerized working memory task that presented single feature stimuli (color and shape), and a third condition that presented dual-feature stimuli (color/shape binding). Overall, the ADHD group exhibited a large-magnitude deficit during the color/shape binding condition (d = .77), and both groups evinced worse performance accuracy in the color/shape binding condition compared to the single feature color and shape conditions. Collectively, these findings appear to provide evidence that children with ADHD exhibit large magnitude episodic buffer deficits that are not attributable to visuospatial subsystem or domain-general central executive processes.

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Notes

  1. All task stimuli and probes were provided by Dr. Richard J. Allen and permission was granted for their use in this study.

  2. On a typical academic scale of A—F, a “C” grade indicates average academic performance (between 70–79%) while a “D” grade indicates below average academic performance (between 60–69% performance).

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Funding

This research projected was funded by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology under grant number HR 17–051.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA

    R. Matt Alderson , Delanie K. Roberts, Jessica L. Betancourt & Caitlin C. Bullard

  2. Department of Psychology, California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, USA

    Stephanie J. Tarle

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the conception and design of this study. Material preparation, data collection and analyses were performed by R. Matt Alderson, Stephanie Tarle, Delanie Roberts, Jessie Betancourt, and Caitlin Bullard. The first draft of the manuscript was written by R. Matt Alderson and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to R. Matt Alderson .

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This study complied with ethical standard and IRB approval was obtained prior to the onset of data collection. All Parents of participating children provided informed consent and all child participants provided verbal assent.

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The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

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Alderson , R.M., Tarle, S.J., Roberts, D.K. et al. Feature Binding and Working Memory in Children with ADHD: Evidence of Episodic Buffer Impairment. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 50, 463–475 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-021-00868-z

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