Obesity Treatment Enhanced With Working Memory Training

Overview

This study will examine the effects of providing subjects who have attention deficits, with or without a formal diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), with Working Memory computerized training and explore whether this training is a feasible way to help them better engage in a weight loss treatment program, thereby enhancing weight loss results. Half of the participants will receive five weeks of online adaptive WM training concurrently while attending an in-person 24-week behavioral weight management program and half will receive five weeks of a non-adaptive form of cognitive training concurrently while attending a 24-week behavioral weight management program in person.

Populations with ADHD or attention issues tend to have more weight loss attempts, struggle more with losing weight, and drop out of treatment more frequently than those without attention difficulties. Adaptive working memory training has been used to strengthen working memory and to mediate the symptoms associated with ADHD. The adaptive training becomes progressively more challenging as participants master each level of the training, while non-adaptive training remains at the same level throughout. Both groups will attend 24 weekly, in-person weight management classes on the University of Vermont Campus. Both groups will do cognitive training on their own home computers five days a week for 30-40 minutes for five weeks concurrently while engaged in the weight loss program.

Conditions