Peer-reviewed research
A meta-analysis of working memory impairments in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Ron Martinussen et al., Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2005 · DOI 10.1097/01.chi.0000153228.72591.73
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- An exploratory meta-analysis of 26 studies, published from 1997 to 2003, that tested whether children and adolescents with ADHD have working memory impairments. Effect sizes were reported separately for verbal and spatial working memory, and for storage and central executive processing.
- How much weight it carries
- Peer-reviewed, indexed in MEDLINE, and frequently cited. The literature is now more than twenty years old, the review was exploratory, and the effect sizes come from a modest number of studies, so treat the exact values as estimates.
Facts taken from this source
- A 2005 meta-analysis of working memory in children with ADHD pooled 26 empirical studies published from 1997 to 2003.
“Twenty-six empirical research studies published from 1997 to December, 2003 (subsequent to a previous review) met our inclusion criteria.” (Abstract, Method)
- In the 2005 meta-analysis, the overall effect size for spatial central executive working memory in children with ADHD was 1.06, the largest of the four categories reported.
“Overall effect sizes for spatial storage (effect size = 0.85, CI = 0.62 - 1.08) and spatial central executive WM (effect size = 1.06, confidence interval = 0.72-1.39)” (Results)
- In the 2005 meta-analysis, the overall effect size for spatial storage working memory in children with ADHD was 0.85.
“Overall effect sizes for spatial storage (effect size = 0.85, CI = 0.62 - 1.08)” (Results)
- In the same 2005 meta-analysis, the overall effect size for verbal central executive working memory in children with ADHD was 0.43, the smallest of the four categories reported.
“verbal central executive WM (effect size = 0.43, confidence interval = 0.24-0.62)” (Results)
- In the 2005 meta-analysis, the overall effect size for verbal storage working memory in children with ADHD was 0.47.
“verbal storage (effect size = 0.47, confidence interval = 0.36-0.59)” (Results)