Accessible online neuroplasticity-targeted training for children with ADHD

Area of Science:

• Child psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Digital therapeutics

Background:

• Childhood Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) presents a significant global mental health challenge.
• There is a critical need for effective, accessible, and affordable ADHD treatments.
• Current therapeutic options may not be universally accessible or cost-effective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel internet-based cognitive training intervention for childhood ADHD.
• To describe the development and feasibility of the Online Neuroplasticity-based Training for the Remediation of ADHD in Children (ONTRAC) program.
• To evaluate ONTRAC in a resource-limited setting.

Main Methods:

• Developed ONTRAC, a home-deployed, customized cognitive training program.
• The intervention targets neuro-cognitive domains impaired in ADHD.
• Progressive difficulty adjustment based on individual performance.
• Feasibility trial conducted in New Delhi, India.

Main Results:

• ONTRAC is a feasible intervention for childhood ADHD.
• The program is adaptable to individual cognitive capacities.
• Demonstrates potential for improving neuro-cognitive functions in ADHD.
• Successful implementation in a resource-limited clinical setting.

Conclusions:

• ONTRAC represents a novel, accessible, and potentially low-cost therapeutic approach for childhood ADHD.
• Internet-based cognitive training can be effectively delivered in diverse settings.
• Highlights the potential of technology in global child psychiatry.