ACTIVATE: A Computerized Training Program for Children With ADHD

ACTIVATE: A Computerized Training Program for Children With ADHD

A preliminary clinical trial of ACTIVATE will be conducted in a sample of children with ADHD. ACTIVATE is a computerized neurocognitive training program (ACTIVATE; see: www.c8sciences.com) that simultaneously targets eight core neurocognitive factors (i.e., sustained attention, working memory (WM), response inhibition, speed of information processing, cognitive flexibility and control, multiple simultaneous attention, category formation, and pattern recognition and inductive thinking).

In an open clinical trial, ACTIVATE, a computer-based neurocognitive intervention will be evaluated to determine its effectiveness in improving symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and related impairments. ACTIVATE is a computerized neurocognitive training program (ACTIVATE; see: www.c8sciences.com) that simultaneously targets eight core neurocognitive factors (i.e., sustained attention, working memory (WM), response inhibition, speed of information processing, cognitive flexibility and control, multiple simultaneous attention, category formation, and pattern recognition and inductive thinking). Youth between the ages of 7-11 will be recruited and assessed for ADHD and assigned to the ACTIVATE intervention. Assessment of outcomes will occur before, weekly during treatment, and immediately post-treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children ages 7-11 with a diagnosis of ADHD
• Parent and child must be fluent English speakers
• Family has access to desktop/laptop computer at home with internet access (in order to implement the ACTIVATE intervention component, which is an online-based computer program)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Developmental delay or psychosis that impacts the child's ability to function and engage in the computerized intervention
• If the youth or parent presents with emergency psychiatric needs that require services beyond that which can be managed within a preventive intervention format (e.g. hospitalization, specialized placement outside the home)
• If the child has an estimated Full Scale IQ below 80, based on completing two subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition