Attention Deficit DisorderKITENCT01841151
Neurofeedback and Working Memory Training for Children and Adolescents With ADHD
A study testing SCP training, Live Z-score training and WM training in people with Attention Deficit Disorder, run by Karolinska Institutet at 1 site in Sweden.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate if neurofeedback and working memory training improves core symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 9 to 17 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- What is being tested?
- SCP training, Live Z-score training and WM training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 202 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSweden
- Study dates
- Aug 2013to Oct 2020
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 9 to 17 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- Clinical AD/HD diagnose according to DSM-IV-TR and K-SADS interview, 9-17 years old, unmedicated or under stable medication with stimulants or corresponding since at least one month.
Who cannot join
- IQ <70 (WISC-IV or WAIS-IV), clinically instable psychiatric state e.g. severe depression, OCD, self-injurious behaviour, bipolar disorder, severe somatic (neurologic) disease, very limited knowledge in the Swedish language.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Does Neurofeedback and Working Memory Training Improve Core Symptoms of ADHD in Children and Adolescents? A Comparative, Randomized and Controlled Study.
The purpose of this study is to investigate if neurofeedback and working memory training improves core symptoms of ADHD in children and adolescents.
Read the detailed description
This study investigates two types of Neurofeedback (NF), one well-established and well-researched protocol called Slow Cortical Potential NF (SCP), and a newer and less researched, yet popular among private clinicians, the so-called live z-score training (LZT). These methods are compared to working memory training (WMT) and a passive control condition, treatment-as-usual only (TAU). The active conditions (SCP/LZT/WMT) are delivered high frequent, with 5 sessions/week, for a total of 25 sessions.
Outcomes measures are taken at Preintervention and Postintervention, as well as at a 6-month follow-up assessment.
- Conditions
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Being tested
- SCP training, Live Z-score training, WM training
- Keywords
- AD/HD in Children and Adolescents
- Medical subject headings
- Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
SCP trainingBehavioural
Live Z-score trainingBehavioural
WM trainingBehavioural
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| SCP training | Active comparator | Neurofeedback 1 (NF1) Slow Cortical Potential (SCP) training Receives: Behavioral: SCP training |
| Live Z-score training | Active comparator | Neurofeedback 2 (NF2) Live Z-score training Receives: Behavioral: Live Z-score training |
| WM training | Active comparator | Working Memory training (WMt) Receives: Behavioral: WM training |
| Waiting-list | No intervention | Treatment as usual only |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Conners 3 ADHD-index
Presented below are the within-group differences from baseline to 6-month follow up, for the ADHD-index of the Conners-3.
Positive numbers indicate symptom improvements.
*The ADHD-index raw score can range from 0-20, with higher score indicating greater symptom severity. The Reliable Change Index (RCI) is 2.88.
Measured: Up to seven months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Apr 2013 (estimated)
- Study startAug 2013
- Primary completionDec 2019
- Study completionOct 2020
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Attention Deficit DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Karolinska InstitutetThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 202 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Karolinska Institutet
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Region Stockholm, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm, Stiftelsen Sunnerdahls Handikappfond, Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Sven Bölte, Karolinska Institutet
- Investigators
- Sven Bölte, Professor, Principal investigator, Karolinska Institute, Competence Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01841151
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- KITE
- Acronym
- KITE
- Status last verified
- Aug 2025
- First submitted
- 20 Apr 2013
- Last updated
- 7 Aug 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Hasslinger, J., Sirviö, S., Berggren, S., Myers, L., Flygare, O., Tammimies, K., & Bölte, S. (2016). A comparative randomized controlled pragmatic trial of neurofeedback and working memory training for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: protocol. Translational Developmental Psychiatry, 4(1). https://doi.org/10.3402/tdp.v4.30556
Hasslinger J, D'Agostini Souto M, Folkesson Hellstadius L, Bolte S. Neurofeedback in ADHD: A qualitative study of strategy use in slow cortical potential training. PLoS One. 2020 Jun 4;15(6):e0233343. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0233343. eCollection 2020.
PubMed 32497051Hasslinger J, Bolte S, Jonsson U. Slow Cortical Potential Versus Live Z-score Neurofeedback in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Multi-arm Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial with Active and Passive Comparators. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol. 2022 Apr;50(4):447-462. doi: 10.1007/s10802-021-00858-1. Epub 2021 Sep 3.
PubMed 34478006Hasslinger J, Jonsson U, Bolte S. Immediate and Sustained Effects of Neurofeedback and Working Memory Training on Cognitive Functions in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Multi-Arm Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial. J Atten Disord. 2022 Sep;26(11):1492-1506. doi: 10.1177/10870547211063645. Epub 2022 Jan 16.
PubMed 35034510