Spatial working memory and strategy formation in adults diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The study investigated problem spatial working memory in ADHD adults. Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood and 27 matched normal controls were tested using the Executive Golf Task, a test that also measures spatial strategy formation. Overall the ADHD patients were significantly impaired, the deficit increasing with task difficulty. They were also more impaired on a measure of task strategy formation, and when taking this into account in terms of memory performance the patient deficit remained, suggesting that their spatial working memory deficits are not wholly explained by problems with strategy formation.