The Feasibility of a Brief Attention Training Technique in Improving Behaviour and Attention in Children With ADHD

The Feasibility of a Brief Attention Training Technique for Improving Behaviour and Attention in Children With ADHD

This study aims to investigate the application of the Attention Training Technique in children with ADHD aged 7-11 years old. The research aims to investigate both the feasibility of this technique in this population as well as whether it can improve symptoms, behaviour and executive functioning.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Attention Training Technique

Detailed Description

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobehavioural disorder characterised by core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Its prevalence ranges between 3-9% of school-aged children, making it one of the most common presentations in child and adolescent mental health services.

In the last 10 years, research into the effectiveness of attention training as an intervention for children with ADHD has been increasing. This has tended to follow assumptions that children with the disorder either lack skills in focusing and maintaining their attention and/or have neurological deficits in areas responsible for attention functions. Results have been encouraging, with study participants demonstrating improvements in symptoms and behaviour following a course of attention training. However, the method and length of training has varied across studies.

This study aims to investigate a treatment called the Attention Training Technique (ATT) that approaches attention difficulties in this disorder from a different perspective. Instead of viewing inattention as a result of structural or skills deficits, it posits that children with ADHD have these skills, but are perhaps unaware of the flexibility and control they have over them. This treatment aims to increase this awareness and subsequently improve ratings of attention, behaviour and other areas of executive functioning.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 13
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Manchester, United Kingdom, M13 9PL
    • University of Manchester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 7 years to 11 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Children with a formal diagnosis of ADHD as given by a psychiatrist or community paediatrician
• Children between the ages of 7 and 11. This age group was selected as previous research on attention training in this population has used this age group
• Children who are currently on a waiting list at a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or a child psychology service, or being seen by a CAMHS or psychology service for medication review only
• Children who speak fluent English which will ensure they are able to comprehend the tasks instructions adequately.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Children who are not stabilised on stimulant medication and/or willing to maintain their medication type/dose
• Children with a major neurological illness or acquired central nervous system injury
• Children who at the point of referral have a co-existing diagnosis of an Autistic Spectrum Disorder
• Children who are currently in receipt of another non-pharmacological intervention for ADHD or who are currently taking part in another research trial

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Attention Training Technique (ATT); Participants will receive 3-5 sessions of the ATT over a period of 3-5 weeks. A set of standardised instructions will be read to each participant and then they will engage in the procedure for a period of 12 minutes. Participants will listen to a set of auditory stimuli and follow the directions of the recording. This will ask them to focus their attention on selected sounds or spatial locations, switch attention between different sounds and locations, before allocating their attention to all sounds simultaneously. Participants will be given a recording of the ATT on a C.D and asked to practice this at least once before the second session.

Behavioral: Attention Training Technique

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Inattention on the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham questionnaire (Snap-IV)	Parent's rating of their child's inattentiveness	Change from baseline in attention post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Hyperactivity on the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham questionnaire (Snap-IV)	Parent's rating of their child's hyperactivity	Change from baseline in hyperactivity post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Impulsivity on the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham questionnaire (Snap-IV)	Parent's rating of their child's impulsivity	Change from baseline in impulsivity post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Attentional control on the Attentional Control Scale for Children (ASC-C)	Children's self reported ability to focus and shift their attention	Change from baseline in attentional control post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Behaviour on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)	Parent's ratings of their child's behaviours	Change from baseline in behaviour post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Executive functioning on The Behavioural Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF)	Parent's ratings of their child's executive functioning behaviours in the home environment	Change from baseline in executive functioning post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Working memory on the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) - Digit Span	Children's Working memory as assessed by the Digit Span subtest	Change from baseline in working memory post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Working memory on the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) - Letter Number Sequencing	Children's Working memory as assessed by the Letter Number Sequencing subtest	Change from baseline in working memory post treatment and at follow up 6 weeks later
Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire	Parents rating of the acceptability of the treatment	Rated once at the final session of treatment, 4 weeks after the 2nd baseline is taken

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Manchester
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Adrian Wells, University of Manchester

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 1, 2016
• Study Completion (Actual): May 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 31, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 3, 2015
• First Posted (Estimate): August 6, 2015

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): October 25, 2016
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 24, 2016
• Last Verified: October 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 163562

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No