Identification of Early Biomarkers of Pre-school ADHD (Bio-PreTDAH)

Identification of Early Biomarkers of Pre-school ADHD: Pilot Study for the Development of a Clinical and Research Platform Dedicated to Early Detection and Intervention

ADHD affects around 5% of children and manifests itself as hyperactivity, attention difficulties and motor control and balance problems. The prevalence of ADHD is particularly high in certain populations, affecting up to 25-30% of children born prematurely and around 20% of children with neurological conditions such as epilepsy. This disorder is officially diagnosed from the age of 6, according to current criteria. However, its clinical manifestations appear much earlier, having a significant impact on all aspects of the child's life, particularly in the most severe forms, which are often unrecognised due to a lack of clinical resources, and therefore without appropriate treatment.

The creation of a platform dedicated to children at risk of ADHD will enable specific clinical expertise to be developed, with the aim of proposing early targeted interventions and positively influencing the development of their trajectory. This platform will also aim to develop new diagnostic methods, based on indirect measures of attentional and executive processes, balance and the development of a risk measurement scale. This development is essential, as the assessment tools currently available lack specificity.

In order to demonstrate the reliability of the innovative diagnostic methods proposed, a comparative pilot study between children from the first clinical cohort (N=30) and a group of healthy children of the same age (N=30) will be carried out. This will enable us to study the discrimination of our tools and make any necessary adjustments. This pilot study also includes a longitudinal re-evaluation, at 12 months, of the children in the ADHD cohort, in order to study changes in these biomarkers over time.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: ADHD

Detailed Description

ADHD and control patients will be informed of the study at least 1 week before the inclusion visit.

During the inclusion visit, after consent has been obtained from those with parental authority, patients in both groups will be :

• Review of inclusion and non-inclusion criteria
• Neuropsychological assessment: WPPSI-IV; K-CPT
• Self-questionnaires: ADHD-RS preschool version, temperament scale (CBQ)
• Experimental evaluation: Eye movement recording, vestibular examination, postural recording, VVS test Patients in the ADHD group will be reassessed at 12 months using the same procedure as the inclusion visit.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 60

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ana MOSCOSO, MD; Phone Number: +33(0)1 40 03 22 95; Email: ana.moscoso@aphp.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Paris, France, 75019
    • Robert Debré Hospital
    • Contact: Ana MOSCOSO, Dr.; Phone Number: +33(0)140032295; Email: ana.moscoso@aphp.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

30 children aged between 3 and 5 years and 11 months, with clinical criteria for ADHD, will be compared with 30 healthy children of the same age.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• For ADHD subjects:
• Children aged between 3.0 and 5 years and 11 months, with clinical criteria for ADHD, according to DSM 5.
• Children followed in the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Robert Debré Hospital.
• Children naïve to pharmacological treatment for ADHD

For control subjects:

• Children between 3.0 - 5 years and 11 months
• No known condition or disease affecting development and behavior

Exclusion Criteria:

• For both groups
• Intellectual disability according to DSM 5 +- WPPSI IV < 70
• Refusal of the child or one of his parents or representatives of parental authority.
• Patient under AME or not affiliated to a social security scheme

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Patient; ADHD patients group: Assessement at V0 et V12 months Review of inclusion and non-inclusion criteria; Neuropsychological assessment: WPPSI-IV; K-CPT; Self-questionnaires: ADHD-RS preschool version, temperament scale (CBQ); Experimental evaluation: Eye movement recording, vestibular examination, postural recording, VVS test
Control; Control subjects group, with no know conditions or desease affecting development and behavior: assessement only at V0 Review of inclusion and non-inclusion criteria; Neuropsychological assessment: WPPSI-IV; K-CPT; Self-questionnaires: ADHD-RS preschool version, temperament scale (CBQ); Experimental evaluation: Eye movement recording, vestibular examination, postural recording, VVS test

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Scores obtained in eye tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group (fixation duration)	Identification of biomarkers of visual attention by comparing scores obtained in eye-tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group.	At baseline
Scores obtained in eye tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group (latencies)	Identification of biomarkers of visual attention by comparing scores obtained in eye-tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group	At baseline
Scores obtained in eye tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group (number of errors)	Identification of biomarkers of visual attention by comparing scores obtained in eye-tracking tests between the ADHD group and the control group	At baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Scores obtained in vestibular tests in both groups and Progression at 12 months in the ADHD group (clinical exam)	Identifying biomarkers linked to vestibular function in ADHD children compared to controls	At baseline
Scores obtained in Subjective visual vertical test in both groups and Progression at 12 months in the ADHD group	Evaluate the diagnostic performance of the different biomarkers (visual and vestibular attention) in relation to the usual neuropsychological tests or self-questionnaires	At baseline & at 12 months
WPPSI (Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence) sub-scores in both groups and Progression at 12 months in the ADHD group	Evaluate the diagnostic performance of the different biomarkers (visual and vestibular attention) in relation to the usual neuropsychological tests or self-questionnaires	At baseline & at 12 months
K-CPT (Conners Kiddie Continuous Performance) scores in both groups (impulsivity scores) and Progression at 12 months in the ADHD group	Evaluate the diagnostic performance of the different biomarkers (visual and vestibular attention) in relation to the usual neuropsychological tests or self-questionnaires	At baseline & at 12 months
Parent self-questionnaire scores in both groups and Progression at 12 months in the ADHD group	Evaluate the diagnostic performance of the different biomarkers (visual and vestibular attention) in relation to the usual neuropsychological tests or self-questionnaires	At baseline & at 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 27, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 25, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: ADHD; Psychiatry; pediatry
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
• Other Study ID Numbers: APHP251111; 2025-A01707-42 (Other Identifier: ANSM)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

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