Training Executive, Attention, and Motor Skills (TEAMS): Preliminary Studies

描述(由申请人提供)：建议的申请是进行基础工作的发展“培训行政，注意力和运动技能(团队)”，一种新的干预措施学龄前儿童的注意力缺陷/多动障碍(ADHD)。旨在持久地减少儿童的ADHD症状和相关损害，从而防止ADHD经常贯穿一生的慢性和高度损害的过程。Teams的研究基于以下观点：1)ADHD的行为表现是神经网络缺陷的结果，这些神经网络影响了广泛的神经认知和行为过程，而这些过程在所有患有ADHD的儿童中并不一定是相同的；2)神经发育对适当的环境影响很敏感，并可以受到积极的影响；3)有效的环境刺激将在动态的社会背景下实现；4)让儿童参与治疗的核心活动必须是内在的奖励(即，乐趣)，而不是外在的强化(例如，表扬或代币)，以便促进自我强加的持续干预，这将导致随着时间的推移和跨环境的泛化。我们建议，这些目标可以通过使用类似游戏的活动来实现，这些活动要求一系列的神经认知和运动技能，并穿插着一段时间的体育锻炼。小组将在小组环境(大约5名儿童)的背景下进行管理。一个同时出现的家长小组将专注于帮助他们的孩子在家里参与这些类似游戏和锻炼的活动。此外，我们会要求家长鼓励他们的子女及其同龄人进行这类游戏，以便在我们的临床环境以外实施。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed application is to conduct the ground work for the development of "Training Executive, Attention and Motor Skills (TEAMS)," a novel intervention for preschool children with Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). TEAMS is designed to result in enduring reductions of ADHD symptoms and associated impairments in children, and thus prevent the chronic and highly impairing course that ADHD oftentimes takes throughout the lifespan. TEAMS is based on the notions that: 1) the behavioral manifestations of ADHD are the result of deficient neural networks that affect a wide array of neurocognitive and behavioral processes which are not necessarily identical in all children with the disorder; 2) neurodevelopment is sensitive to and can be positively affected by appropriate environmental influences; 3) effective environmental stimulation will be best achieved within a dynamic social context; and 4) the engagement of the child in the core activities of the treatment must be intrinsically rewarding (i.e., fun) rather than extrinsically reinforced (e.g., praise or tokens) in order to facilitate self- imposed continuation of the intervention which will lead to generalization over time and across settings. We propose that these goals can be achieved through the use of game-like activities which place demands on an array of neurocognitive and motor skills, interspersed with periods of physical exercise. TEAMS will be administered within the context of a small group setting (Approximately 5 children). A concurrently-occurring parent group will focus on helping them to engage their children in these game-like and exercise activities at home. In addition, parents will be asked to encourage such play among their child and his/her peers so as to facilitate implementation outside of our clinical setting.