ADHD
Conditions
Brief summary
It is estimated that 25-40% of youth with ADHD have co-occurring cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS; previously sluggish cognitive tempo), a set of behavioral symptoms characterized by excessive daydreaming, slowed thinking, and mental confusion and fogginess. A growing body of research demonstrates CDS to be associated with functional impairment above and beyond that which can be accounted for by ADHD severity. However, no treatment currently exists that directly targets CDS symptoms. This is a critical clinical and scientific gap, leaving youth with ADHD and co-occurring CDS at risk for experiencing negative immediate and long-term outcomes. In considering intervention approaches, mindfulness meditation involves regular practice to catch oneself when the mind wanders, and may thus an ideal intervention for youth with CDS. However, mindfulness interventions, including the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD, have never been tested in adolescents with ADHD and co-occurring CDS specifically. This study will recruit up to 15 adolescents with ADHD and co-occurring CDS symptoms to enroll in an open trial of MAPs to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy. Findings will provide key pilot data regarding treatment of CDS in adolescents with ADHD.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMindful Awareness Practices (MAPs)
MAPs is an 8-session, group-based approach for individuals with ADHD to improve attentional difficulties and related impairments by enhancing attending to and accepting experiences in the present moment. Sessions typically last between 60 and 90 minutes, though may last up to 120 minutes.
Sponsors
Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
13 Years to 17 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Between 13 and 17 years of age at the first MAPs session. 2. Estimated IQ ≥ 80 as assessed by the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test, Second Edition (KBIT-2). 3. Meet full DSM-5 criteria for ADHD (per protocol). 4. SCT Total score \>85th percentile (T-score \>60) on the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI) SCT Module. 5. Sufficient English language ability necessary to complete study measures and intervention per parent and/or research staff judgment. 6. If applicable: If the adolescent is taking a medication for ADHD or another psychiatric disorder (e.g., anxiety, depression), the adolescent must be on a stable medication dose/schedule for at least one month, and families will also be asked to not change/add medications the adolescent takes during the intervention period.
Exclusion criteria
1. Children who have participated in behavioral therapy treatment in the past year will be ineligible. 2. Children with a parent-report diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or psychosis will be excluded. 3. Significant visual, hearing, or speech impairment not helped with corrective or assistive devices (e.g., glasses, hearing aids) per parent report or study staff judgment.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in mindfulness: Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM) | Immediately after the intervention | Mindfulness measured using the adolescent-completed Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure (CAMM). Scores range from 0 to 40 (higher = worse). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in mind wandering: Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ) | Immediately after the intervention | Mind wandering measured using the adolescent-completed Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ). SCores range from 5 to 30 (higher = worse). |
| Change in cognitive disengagement syndrome (CDS) symptoms: Child Concentration Inventory, Second Edition (CCI-2) | Immediately after the intervention | CDS symptoms measured using the adolescent-completed Child Concentration Inventory, Second Edition (CCI-2). Scores range from 0 to 48 (higher = worse). |
| Change in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms: Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) | Immediately after the intervention | ADHD symptoms measured using the parent-completed Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS). Scores range from 0 to 27 (higher = worse). |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed