Focus & cognitive strategies

Plain-English, cited reads on focus & cognitive strategies for ADHD-friendly daily living.

Educational content only - not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Reads on this pillar

Neurofeedback for ADHD: what the best-run trials show

Research readExpert opinion

The studies behind these reads

One-paper summaries we keep so you can check our work. They are not guidance on their own.

CBT reduced ADHD symptoms in adults right after treatment · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Hormone shifts and ADHD in women: a research position paper · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Who stops ADHD medication early differs by age group · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
How common is ADHD in older adults in the Netherlands · studied in adults, a general population
Most children with ADHD got school help, but a gap remained · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
What predicts ADHD continuing from childhood into adulthood · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
How treatments compare for adolescents with ADHD · studied in adolescents, participants with ADHD
Brain activity predicted neurofeedback learning in ADHD teens · studied in adolescents, participants with ADHD
How adult diagnosis method changes ADHD persistence estimates · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Organizational skills training helps children with ADHD get organized · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
fMRI meta-analysis: brain activity differs in ADHD during focus tasks · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Brain timing tasks show underactive regions in ADHD · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Careful assessment ruled out most late-onset ADHD cases · studied in mixed ages, a general population
Commentary questions whether adult-onset ADHD is a real type · studied in mixed ages, a mixed population
How you measure executive function changes what ADHD looks like · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Adult ADHD cases rarely had childhood ADHD in one cohort · studied in mixed ages, a general population
ADHD in under-20s worldwide in the 2021 Global Burden of Disease data · studied in mixed ages, a general population
GBD likely underestimates global ADHD, re-analysis finds · studied in mixed ages, a general population
Adult outcomes 16 years after childhood ADHD in the MTA study · studied in adults, a mixed population
Employee burnout linked to ADHD through executive function · studied in adults, a mixed population
An umbrella review of ADHD environmental risks and biomarkers · studied in children, a mixed population
Meta-cognitive group therapy improved inattention in adults with ADHD · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
A review and brain-imaging study found that stimulant medication, most often methylphenidate, most consistently increased activity in the right inferior frontal cortex and insula, brain areas tied to cognitive control, in people with ADHD.
College students with ADHD ate a less healthy food mix, not more · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
fMRI neurofeedback no better than sham for ADHD in boys · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Social support tied to better daily functioning in adults with ADHD · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
In adults, sluggish cognitive tempo looks separate from ADHD · studied in adults, a general population
Shared and distinct attention brain patterns in ADHD and autism · studied in adolescents, a mixed population
Diagnosing ADHD in teens needs parent and teacher reports · studied in adolescents, a mixed population
How a parent's ADHD may affect a child's ADHD treatment · studied in mixed ages, a mixed population
How ADHD is measured in adults changes who counts as persistent · studied in adults, a mixed population
Computer brain training did not ease core ADHD symptoms · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Cognitive training helped memory more than ADHD symptoms in kids · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
CBT helped medicated adults whose ADHD symptoms persisted · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Childhood executive function predicted young women's later outcomes · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Having your own phone nearby lowered thinking capacity in students · studied in adults, a general population
Adult ADHD symptoms weakly tied to diet in Swedish twin study · studied in adults, a general population
ADHD risk in people born very preterm or very low birth weight · studied in mixed ages, an ADHD-adjacent population
ADHD is real and heritable, but US diagnoses have outrun true rates · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Atomoxetine helped ADHD symptoms in children with autism · studied in children, an ADHD-adjacent population
Behavioral treatment helped kids with ADHD, but blinded ratings showed no effect · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
This review concluded that ADHD is a common and treatable condition in adults, and that adults with ADHD tend to respond to the same treatments that help children and adolescents.
In a long-term study, children with ADHD had higher rates of substance use and substance use disorders in adolescence than peers without ADHD, and ADHD medication neither raised nor lowered that risk.
How ADHD appears in girls and women across the lifespan · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Adults' positive feelings about ADHD track hyperactive symptoms · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Almost no adult ADHD intervention studies took place at work · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Treatment linked to better ADHD outcomes but rarely level with peers · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
A brain connection measure tied to many mental health symptoms · studied in mixed ages, a mixed population
Neurofeedback for children with ADHD rated "probably efficacious" · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Childhood ADHD brain differences appear to persist into adulthood · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Adults with ADHD fidgeted more on trials they answered correctly · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Better sleep health linked to lower risk in night owl teens · studied in adolescents, an ADHD-adjacent population
ADHD symptoms persisted to age 25; stimulant use tied to less height · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Adult ADHD looks mainly like a problem holding back responses · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Review finds consistent timing problems in ADHD · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Adults with ADHD generated more original ideas in a small study · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
White and pink noise gave youth with ADHD a small task boost · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD
Inattention outlasts hyperactivity into adulthood in ADHD · studied in adults, participants with ADHD
Neurofeedback shows little effect on ADHD symptoms · studied in mixed ages, participants with ADHD