A Naturalistic Study of Functional Impairment for Individuals With ADHD in the Early Morning and Late Afternoon/Evening Hours

Completed

Conditions studied: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In brief

The objective of this study is to assess the burden and impact of ADHD impairment in the early morning and late afternoon/evening hours for adolescents and young adults. Functional impairments will focus on the currently identified areas of functional impairment in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5, American Psychiatric Association, 2013) - namely, social, academic, and occupational functioning. This is necessary for two reasons: (1) the current literature on ADHD impairment and functioning is concentrated within elementary school children; and (2) studies of intervention effectiveness are typically concentrated during the school day. This current state of the literature ignores the obvious - as ADHD is a chronic disorder, it needs to be addressed as children grow into adolescence and young adulthood, and it needs to be remediated at times outside of the school day such as in the morning and late afternoon/evening. Therefore, the specific areas assessed in the present study will relate to driving, school, work, and family functioning. These are important areas to study, as the research literature has typically focused on elementary school and school-day behavior in assessments of symptom presentation, impairment, and treatment outcome. As individuals with ADHD grow older, the entire day becomes relevant in determinations of functioning (e.g., workdays may begin in the very early morning or last into the evening/night), and productivity can be assessed across waking hours rather than just across the elementary school day. Once areas of functional impairment in these times of day are determined, for this age group, treatment candidates can aim to address these treatment targets.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04473755

Run by

Florida International University

People needed

60

Starts

2020-08-04

Expected to finish

2020-12-31

Last updated by the study team

2021-02-03

Who can join

Age: 16 and older, up to 30. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

• All participants will have an estimated IQ greater than 70, a valid driving license/permit, and no evidence of psychosis or autism spectrum disorder at level 2 or 3. Individuals will be classified in the ADHD group if they meet DSM-5 criteria for ADHD based on the evaluation. Individuals who do not meet criteria for ADHD will be placed in the non-ADHD group.

You may not qualify if…

• Medication use for ADHD will be an exclusion criteria, unless the participant works with the prescribing physician to take a 2-week holiday from medication for the duration of the study.

Where it is running

• Center for Children and Families — Amherst, New York, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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