Mindfulness ADHD Intervention

The Investigation of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention for ADHD

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 11% of children and adolescents in the United States. Individuals with ADHD experience substantial impairments and burdens across multiple areas of daily living, including peer difficulties, academic difficulties, poor job outcomes, high rates of co-occurring disorders, and large financial costs. Although there are many well-established, evidence-based treatments for ADHD, many children continue to experience significant impairment and elevated ADHD symptoms even with prolonged treatment. Further, there are several limitations to existing treatment approaches, including medication side effects, difficulty accessing behavioral treatments, and high out-of-pocket costs for behavioral treatments. Thus, there is a crucial need to identify low cost, low burden, alternative or additive intervention approaches for pediatric ADHD.

In the current pilot study, the investigators aim to evaluate responses in behavioral markers of attention to a mindfulness-based intervention. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs), including deep breathing, have received considerable research attention regarding their benefits for ADHD symptoms. Deep breathing is a strong candidate as a supplementary MBI intervention for children with ADHD due to its simplistic and easy-to-implement nature. Studies examining the effects of deep breathing on physiological arousal and ADHD symptoms in children have yielded promising results. Children will be led through a brief deep breathing intervention using a novel tool designed to optimize child engagement in deep breathing. This tool is designed to be held in the child's hands and uses a series of haptic vibrations to provide real-time deep breathing pacing guidance. The investigators predict that following a brief deep breathing practice, children with ADHD will demonstrate improved sustained attention, reaction time consistency, and inhibitory control. These areas of attention and behavioral functioning will be assessed using computer tasks.

The investigators plan to use the results of this study to strengthen a future application for grant funding to run a similar trial with many more children. The investigators believe that the results of this and future studies will improve the lives of children with ADHD and their families.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Guided deep breathing

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 10
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Massachusetts
    • Brookline, Massachusetts, United States, 02445
      • Boston Children's Hospital Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participant age 7 years, 0 months - 11 years, 11 months
• Parent-reported ADHD diagnosis for the participant

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous confirmed or suspected diagnosis of intellectual disability
• Previous confirmed or suspected diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
• Currently prescribed non-stimulant medication for the purpose of managing ADHD symptoms
• Hearing impairments
• Primary language other than English
• Known seizure disorder

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: Deep Breathing Intervention; Children will complete a brief deep breathing intervention	Behavioral: Guided deep breathing; Children will complete a brief, 5-minute, deep breathing intervention using the Domi tool to help maintain a 5-second breath pace

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Behavioral Performance Metrics	Behavioral markers of sustained attention and inhibitory control will be assessed using a Go/NoGo task. Omission errors (failing to respond to a Go trial) and reaction time variability (standard deviation of reaction time across all trials) will serve as markers of sustained attention. Commission errors (responding to a NoGo trial) will serve as a marker of inhibitory control.	During the single in-person research visit
Neurophysiological Markers	Electroencephalography (EEG) methods will be used to measure P300 event-related potentials (ERP), a positive inflection occurring around 300ms after a response to task-relevant and irrelevant stimuli that reflects attention orienting, stimulus evaluation, and inhibitory control. Stimulus-locked P300 amplitude in response to correct Go-trials will be a marker of cortical attention processes, while stimulus-locked P300 amplitude in response to NoGo trials will be a marker of cortical inhibitory control processes.	During the single in-person research visit

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Boston Children's Hospital

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 26, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 17, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): June 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 31, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 26, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB-P00051676

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No