Effectiveness of sensory-motor integration exercises and computerized cognitive rehabilitation on executive functions (working memory, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility) in children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

The present study was conducted with the aim of examining the effectiveness of sensory-motor integration exercises and computerized cognitive rehabilitation on executive functions (working memory, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility) of children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The present research was a semi-experimental type with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included all children suffering from ADHD in Hamedan City, numbering 300 people in the academic year of 2021-2022. The research sample consisted of 33 children with ADHD who were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and one control group (11 people in each group). The tools of this research included Wisconsin Cards Test (WCST), N-Back Test and Dual-Task Stroop (DTS). The interventions of this research included Captain Log's Computerized Cognitive Rehabilitation Protocol (CLCCRP) and sensory-motor integration training sessions. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate covariance model and SPSS26. The average scores of cognitive flexibility, active memory and response inhibition were measured on two occasions, which showed that in the post-test, the average scores of cognitive flexibility and response inhibition increased and active memory scores decreased, while no change was observed in the control group. The results showed that after controlling the effect of the pre-test on the post-test to compare the scores of cognitive flexibility, working memory and response inhibition among the three groups, there was a significant difference in the error level (0.05). According to the sessions and results obtained from computerized cognitive rehabilitation treatments and sensory-motor integration exercises were effective in improving cognitive flexibility, working memory and response inhibition.