New study aims to improve attention control in infants at risk of ADHD
Study will use computer-based attention training
A new study, led by scientists at Birkbeck will investigate whether computer-based intervention can improve attention control in infants at familial risk of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), thanks to a £500,000 grant from MQ: Transforming Mental Health.
This project will take a new approach to developing early interventions for ADHD, a condition which affects up to 5% of the general population and can cause difficulties paying attention and controlling behaviour, and hyperactivity. There is growing evidence that infants who go on to develop ADHD show early signs of reduced “executive attention” with, for example, shorter periods of focused attention during play-based as well as screen-based tasks. Early interventions that strengthen attention are predicted to reduce later ADHD symptoms.
The researchers will undertake a trial of new, computer-based attention training for infants who are at increased risk for ADHD because they have an older sibling or parent with the condition. The training approach uses state of the art technology to link attention allocation to rewarding images on the screen. An eye tracker can tell exactly where an infant is looking on a computer screen, and infants can control what they will see next appear on the screen by where they look. Infants will be assessed in the laboratory and at home immediately before and after training, and will be followed-up with additional laboratory visits at 24 and 36 months.
This approach has already been shown to strengthen concentration and attention in typically developing infants. The researchers are interested in whether these effects can also be seen in infants at risk for ADHD, and will assess whether there are effects on early emergence of ADHD behaviours, and what the brain processes underpinning such effects might be.
Professor Mark Johnson, Director of the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development at Birkbeck and lead investigator on this study, said: “Psychological treatments that begin after a child has received an ADHD diagnosis have had only limited success. This is perhaps because they are being given too late in development to significantly affect brain function. Approaches designed to prevent the development of symptoms, rather than treat them later on, have not yet been tested."
Dr Emily Jones, Birkbeck L’Oreal Women in Science Research Fellow, added: “If we see similar results in the concentration and attention control of infants at risk of ADHD as we have seen in typically developing infants, then this treatment could be an important tool in reducing the severity and incidence of ADHD symptoms within the population and help to improve the quality of life for families.”
If you would like further information about the project visit www.staars.org. If you are interested in taking part in the project email staars@bbk.ac.uk or phone 020 7079 0761.