Repeated Task Exposure and Sufficient Sleep May Mitigate ADHD-Related Cognitive Flexibility Impairments in Family Dogs

TL;DR

The study found that dogs with ADHD-like traits showed improved cognitive flexibility after sufficient sleep and repeated tasks, similar to findings in humans.

Contribution

The novelty is showing that sleep and task repetition can help dogs with ADHD-like traits improve cognitive flexibility.

Findings

Dogs with higher ADHD scores improved reversal learning performance after sufficient sleep.

ADHD-like traits in dogs are linked to impaired cognitive flexibility, mirroring human ADHD patterns.

Repeated task exposure combined with adequate sleep mitigates cognitive flexibility impairments in dogs.

Abstract

Family dogs can exhibit symptoms resembling Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). This study explored whether ADHD-like traits in dogs, as in humans, are associated with impaired cognitive flexibility, and how sleep may influence this relationship. We tested 64 family dogs in a reversal learning task: first, they learned to identify which of two pots was baited with food (discrimination phase), after which the rewarded side was switched (reversal phase). Following sleep electroencephalography (EEG) measurement, the task was repeated. Owners completed a validated questionnaire to rate ADHD-like behaviours in their dogs. Dogs with stronger ADHD-like traits learned slower the first reversal, but not after sleep. Electrode application was slower and the sleep measurement was more likely to fail in dogs with higher ADHD scores; however, their reversal learning performance improved more from pre- to post-sleep if they slept for at least 25 min. These findings parallel human research linking ADHD symptoms to reduced cognitive flexibility and further suggest that repetition and sufficient sleep may mitigate such impairments. Cognitive training may therefore represent a promising strategy to support dogs with ADHD-like behaviours.

The family dog is a valid model for studying complex human functions and psychological disorders such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Based on prior human research indicating impairments in cognitive flexibility related to ADHD, this study investigates the association between dogs’ ADHD-like traits and reversal learning performance. Since sleep improves learning both in humans and dogs, we also examined its impact in this context. Family dogs (N = 64) completed a two-way choice spatial reversal learning task, followed by a one-hour non-invasive sleep electroencephalography (EEG), and then a second reversal task. We used a validated human analogue questionnaire to assess ADHD. Dogs with higher ADHD scores required more trials to pass the first reversal test, but not after sleep. Electrode application was slower and sleep measurement more likely to fail in dogs with higher ADHD scores. Performance improved more from pre- to post-sleep in high-ADHD dogs if they spent at least 40% of the recording asleep. Our findings align with the human literature showing associations between ADHD and cognitive flexibility in dogs. The main novelty here is the ADHD-related potential benefits of repeated task exposure after sufficient sleep on cognitive flexibility. Cognitive training offers a promising direction to mitigate ADHD-related impairments in dogs.

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