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EXECUTIVE DYSFUNCTION

Your Brain’s GPS Is

Glitchy: Why
Working Memory
Fails and How to
Bolster It
BY STEPH ALEXANDER

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Many experts today argue that

attention deficit disorder (ADHD or
ADD) is not, at its core, an attention
problem, but rather a self-regulation
problem exacerbated by weak working
memory.

Our brains comprise two systems: the

automatic and the executive. The
automatic system guides 80 to 90% of
our activities every single day; the
executive system guides the remaining
10 to 20% and requires purposeful,
regulatory e!ort. As many with ADHD
know, this system of executive
functioning can be exhausting; it
requires frequent mental pauses and
ceaseless self-regulation.

Time to talk to your

doctor about an

ADHD
treatment
option?

S42011
S42011 08/18
08/18

Executive function is so taxing, in part,

because it comprises seven distinct
brain activities — two of which are
verbal working memory and non-
verbal working memory (which hinges
on visual and spatial acumen). Both
types of working memory influence the
amount of e!ort and type of actions
required to modify what our brains
would do automatically. The stronger
your working memory, the less work
your brain must take on with each new
challenge.

The importance of working memory is

growing within the study of attention
deficit disorder (ADHD or ADD),
according to Dr. Russell Barkley, author
and clinical professor of psychiatry at
Virginia Commonwealth University
Medical Center. He calls working
memory your brain’s GPS — an
essential system that guides and
directs actions, and which is commonly
weak in people with ADHD. Dr. Barkley
explained this GPS theory in depth in a
joint presentation with ADHD coach
Je! Copper during an Attention Talk
Radio podcast earlier this year. During
their talk, Barkley and Copper shared
strategies for o"oading working
memory stresses in the ADHD brain.

How Working Memory Powers

Executive Function
Like a GPS booting up for a new voyage,
the brain begins any new task by
referring to its maps — those sensory
images logged and stored in non-
verbal working memory, Barkley says.
It next tunes in to its instructions, the
verbal commands and “inner voice”
stored in verbal working memory. The
visual images of the non-verbal
working memory help the brain to act,
and the verbal working memory
becomes its guidance system.

[Self-Test: Do You Have a Working

Memory Deficit?]

When a brain is storing and

synthesizing both types of working
memory e!ectively, it begins to work a
lot like Waze or Google Maps —
determining the relevance of new
information as it arrives and altering
the plan in real time to get us to our
destination better or faster. It becomes
a more powerful tool for self-
regulation, for goal-setting and for
working around obstacles in our paths.
But to an already overwhelmed brain,
all of this working memory can be a lot
to process. Because of that, Barkley
suggests a strategy called
“externalizing” that gets the
information out of the brain and into
an external environment by
transforming both the sensory and the
verbal working memory into a physical
manifestation. This helps the brain to
become less taxed.

Below, Barkley and Copper o!er five

strategies for strengthening your
working memory and externalizing
information so that your brain can
e!ectively plan and coordinate tasks
without expending the extra e!ort.

Digital isn’t always the best

solution.
To lessen the burden on your working
memory, begin by simply writing
things down with pen and paper. Yes,
your phone is often nearby, but using
technology for all such memory tasks is
“… misguided for ADHD in many
ways,” Barkley says. Smart phones,
tablets, and smart watches – which
may be lost, drained of battery life, and
not synced – may lead to more stress
than they relieve. Instead, Barkley
says, “Let’s go low tech. Let’s go back
to paper and pencil.” Use an ADHD-
friendly notebook as the external
storage device for your working
memory. Use imagery, not just
language; make to-do lists; keep your
schedule; make goals – but do it on
paper.

When you do use tech, use it wisely.

For example, Copper suggests
snapping a photo of the outfit you’ve
laid out for an upcoming trip so that
you can recall it quickly from your
o"oaded, externalized working
memory – now in the form of a photo –
while balancing other priorities during
your trip.

[Is Your Disorganization Out of

Control?]

Map it out.
Returning to the GPS metaphor,
Barkley suggests creating a work (or
mind) map. This works well for those
who achieve better results with visual
cues – particularly when working on
longer written projects or reports.
Creating an image of something can be
easier and faster to retrieve because it
can be instantly imagined. For
example, sticky notes can make great
low-tech systems, because they can be
moved around as we think through an
assignment, allowing for quick
categorization, scheduling, detailing,
and rearranging without expending
more mental energy. Sometimes, a
picture really is worth a thousand
words.

For ADHD in patients 6 years and above. Vyvanse is not for weight
loss. It is not known if Vyvanse is safe and e!ective for the
treatment of obesity.

Ask your doctor if

Vyvanse is right for you†
Learn more
Medication may not be for everyone.
†

Check with your doctor.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Vyvanse® is a federally controlled substance (CII)

because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep
Vyvanse in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse.
Selling or giving away Vyvanse may harm others and is
PLEASE SEE PRESCRIBING INFORMATION, MEDICATION GUIDE

Simplify your workspace.

When it comes to controlling
distractibility and impulses, working
memory is often fragile. Barkley
recommends limiting your workspace
to only what’s involved in the project at
hand. He even suggests that some
students and professionals benefit
from using two computers – one with
games, social media and the web, and
one that is stripped down, for work
only. A software application that blocks
browsing is another tactic that can
limit online distractions and keep
projects – and working memory – on
track.

Take time to discover what’s right

for you.
We can’t all commit to the same
systems and expect powerful,
individualized results – one size does
not fit all. According to Barkley,
research shows that, in the average
ADHD brain, verbal working memory is
twice as strong as visual working
memory. For some, however, this isn’t
the case. Artists, architects, and others
who are visually inclined generally find
that the opposite is true. (Some even
find that their tactile, auditory, and
olfactory senses may be harnessed to
lighten the load on working memory.)

Updated on December 31, 2018

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Ask your child’s

doctor about Flexable
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Vyvanse.
Learn more

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Vyvanse is a federally controlled substance (CII) because

it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep Vyvanse in
a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse. Selling or
giving away Vyvanse may harm others and is against
the law.
PLEASE SEE
is aPRESCRIBING INFORMATION,
Vyvanse stimulant medicine. Tell the MEDICATION
doctor if you GUIDE
or your
child have ever abused or been dependent on alcohol,

Tags: executive functions, treating adults,

treating kids

JUMP TO COMMENTS

For ADHD in patients 6 years and above. Vyvanse is not for weight
loss. It is not known if Vyvanse is safe and e!ective for the
treatment of obesity.

Ask your doctor if

Vyvanse is right for you†
Learn more
Medication may not be for everyone.
†

Check with your doctor.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

Vyvanse® is a federally controlled substance (CII)

because it can be abused or lead to dependence. Keep
Vyvanse in a safe place to prevent misuse and abuse.
Selling or giving away Vyvanse may harm others and is
PLEASE SEE PRESCRIBING INFORMATION, MEDICATION GUIDE

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