Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Conditions
Keywords
motor attention training, exercise, tai chi, ADHD
Brief summary
The investigators will perform a feasibility/pilot trial of two non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD in college students.
Detailed description
College students diagnosed with ADHD will be randomized to three arms of approximately 8 weeks duration: (1) standard care plus a tai chi class, (2) standard care plus an exercise class, and (3) standard care alone. The exercise class will control for the social and motor components of tai chi training. The investigators will determine methodological parameters relevant to a subsequent full scale trial including recruitment and retention rates, acceptance of randomization, adherence to the interventions, and variance in outcome measures. The primary clinical outcome measure of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be pre- to post-intervention change in inattention, i.e. the Inattentive Symptoms subscale of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale self-report long form (CAARS-S:L, see Interviews etc. "Converse\_S\_L"). Secondary measures to be explored will include self- and informant-report, neurocognitive measures, psychophysiological measures, and academic performance. Practice time will be assessed daily and follow-up self-report of ADHD symptoms will be gathered monthly for 3 months beyond the end of the intervention.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALTai Chi
BEHAVIORALExercise
Sponsors
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 23 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* University of Wisconsin-Madison enrolled undergraduate * Documented ADHD diagnosis
Exclusion criteria
* Unable or unwilling to participate in the interventions
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in symptoms of inattention | 8 weeks | Inattentive Symptoms subscale of the Conners Adult ADHD Rating Scale self-report long form (CAARS-S:L). The total range of scores is 0-27 with higher scores indicating more severe symptom levels. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Feasibility of implementing wireless Electroencephalogram(EEG) to measure the theta beta ratio during performance of tai chi. | up to 90 minute | Feasibility of implementing wireless EEG will be assessed by the quality of EEG data. Acceptable data should have satisfactory signal to noise characteristics. Satisfactory signal to noise ratio will be evaluated by the variance within individual across trials of the ratio of occipital alpha power between the eyes closed and eyes open conditions. Feasibility will be judged by the criterion that the coefficient of variance (CV = s.d./mean) be less than 1/3. |
Countries
United States
Contacts
CONTACTAlexander K Converse, PhD
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORAlexander K Converse, PhD
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Outcome results
None listed