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Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderHYPNAAXNCT05741307

Effect of a Self-hypnosis on Attention Disorders and Anxiety in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

A study testing Self-hypnosis application and Questionnaires in people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, run by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris at 1 site in France.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The prevalence of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity (ADHD) varies between 3 and 10% depending on the studies. Comorbidities are frequently associated, in particular anxiety disorders. School, social and family consequences of ADHD can be major, especially in the presence of a comorbidity. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 7 to 12 years
Conditions the study is for
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
What is being tested?
Self-hypnosis application and Questionnaires
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
49 participants
Where
1 siteFrance
Study dates
4 Sep 2023to 23 Jun 2024
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

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 7 to 12 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Patient of French mother tongue, aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician according to DSM-5 criteria
  • Patient treated with methylphenidate and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital
  • Information and consent of holders of parental authority and of the patient

Who cannot join

  • Presence of an intellectual disability
  • Presence of an autism spectrum disorder

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

France1 site
  • Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades

    Paris, 75015

Other trials in France

About this study

Official title: Effect of a Self-hypnosis Smartphone Application on Attention Disorders and Anxiety in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The prevalence of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity (ADHD) varies between 3 and 10% depending on the studies. Comorbidities are frequently associated, in particular anxiety disorders. School, social and family consequences of ADHD can be major, especially in the presence of a comorbidity.

The study goal is to evaluate, through questionnaires, the effect of self-hypnosis via a smartphone application, on the symptoms of inattention and anxiety in children with ADHD in addition to their treatment by methylphenidate. Parents and children complete the study questionnaires four times.

  • T0: at inclusion
  • T1 (T0+6 weeks): after 6 weeks of using the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 1 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 2
  • T2 (T0+8 weeks): after a wash-out period of 2 weeks (usual treatment only) for both groups
  • T3 (T0+14 weeks): after 6 weeks of use of the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 2 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 8 weeks of usual treatment for the group 1, following the 6 weeks of use of the application.
Read the detailed description

The prevalence of Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity (ADHD) varies between 3 and 10% depending on the studies. Comorbidities are frequently associated, in particular anxiety disorders. School, social and family consequences of ADHD can be major especially in the presence of a comorbidity.

The management of ADHD requires an effective multimodal approach to attention disorders and comorbid disorders. In France, the Haute Autorité de Santé recommends the combination of drug treatment with methylphenidate (as a second line or, for serious cases, from the first line) and a non-drug treatment such as behavioral therapies, cognitive remediation and psycho-educational support.

As part of this project, and more generally for the care of young ADHD patients, it is interesting to target a method that can be deployed in a relatively controlled way in addition to other non-drug measures and without contradicting them. Hypnosis is a technique that is already widely used in the treatment of pain. In the field of mental health, the clinical use of hypnosis is a relevant strategy to support self-regulation capacities in anxious children. Indeed, this technique offers an easily accessible experience of reducing arousal and dissociating internal physical sensations and perceptions, while promoting attentional focus towards the examination of new possibilities. The repeated use of self-hypnosis incorporating imaginary exposure facilitates the feeling of capacity for action ("empowerment") in the face of anxiety-provoking elements, reduces hyper-reactivity, and leads to the control of physiological reactivity.

In France, it is difficult for families to find structures for the care and monitoring of child's ADHD. The lack of speech therapists, the waiting list in public medical institution, the cost of follow-up by private psychologists, the lack of specialized structures are obstacles to care and increase the risk of pejorative evolution. In this context, the use at home by the child of a digitized self-hypnosis tool has all its interest.

The objectives of the study are to evaluate, through questionnaires, the effect of self-hypnosis via a smartphone application, on the symptoms of inattention and anxiety in children with ADHD in addition to taking classical pharmacological load by methylphenidate.

Parents and children complete the study questionnaires four times.

  • T0: at inclusion
  • T1 (T0+6 weeks): after 6 weeks of using the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 1 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 2
  • T2 (T0+8 weeks): after a wash-out period of 2 weeks (usual treatment only) for both groups
  • T3 (T0+14 weeks): after 6 weeks of use of the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 2 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 8 weeks of usual treatment for the group 1, following the 6 weeks of use of the application.
Being tested
Self-hypnosis application, Questionnaires
Keywords
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Anxiety, Hypnosis, Smartphone application, ADHD
Medical subject headings
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Anxiety Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Self-hypnosis applicationBehavioural

    Also called Hypnotidoo application

    The Hypnotidoo application offers screenless self-hypnosis sessions for 5-12 year olds. Each session lasts 6 to 8 minutes and focuses on one of the following themes: stress and anxiety, sleep, daily troubles and discomforts, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating, self-confidence, difficult life events, anger. Each session begins with breathing and refocusing work, followed by self-hypnosis through stories and metaphors suitable for children.

    The application will be used by patients in the context of research for 6 weeks, 5 days out of 7 in parallel with the usual treatment.

  • QuestionnairesOther

    Also called Conners III, CBCL and R-CMAS

    Before and after (at T0, T1, T2 and T3) the 6-week period of use of the application and a wash-out period of 2 weeks (= usual treatment only), self- and hetero-questionnaires which constitute the gold standard for evaluating the symptoms of inattention and anxiety are proposed: Conners III, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS).

    • T0: inclusion
    • T1: 6 weeks after T0 (inclusion)
    • T2: 2 weeks after T1
    • T3: 6 weeks after T2
Study groups in NCT05741307
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Patients 2ExperimentalPatient aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. These patients will use of the self-hypnosis application 6 weeks after inclusion : from T2 to T3.
Receives: Behavioral: Self-hypnosis application; Other: Questionnaires
Patients 1ExperimentalPatient aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. These patients will use of the self-hypnosis application at inclusion : from T0 (inclusion) to T1.
Receives: Behavioral: Self-hypnosis application; Other: Questionnaires

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in severity of attention deficit

    The severity of attention deficit is assessed with the Conners 3 questionnary. It provide information's for information for 11 scales and includes 110 questions. Our research will focus on the T-score of inattention scale (mean=100, standard deviation=10). The higher the score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the inattention scale T-score from base line at 6 weeks and 14 weeks will be used as primary outcome.

    Measured: Day 0, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 14 weeks

Secondary outcomes (2)
  1. Change in severity of anxiety with a self-questionnaire

    Assessment with the Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS). The R-CMAS is a self-questionnaire of 28 anxiety items and 9 lying items. It provides scores for Total Anxiety and 4 subscales: Physiological Anxiety, Worry/Sensitivity, Social Concerns/Concentration, Lie Scale. The notation is binary: true/false. Our research will focus on anxiety total T-score (mean at 50, standard deviation at 10). The higher the T-Score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the anxiety total R-CMAS T-score from base line at 6 weeks and 14 weeks will be used as seondary outcome.

    Measured: Day 0, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 14 weeks

  2. Change in severity of anxiety with a hetero-questionnaire

    Assessment with the Child Behavior Checklist inventory (CBCL). The CBCL provides information on 6 scales: Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior. It includes 113 questions, noted from 0 to 2, depending on the presence of each symptom. Our research will focus on the T-score of the anxiety/Depressed scale (mean at 50, standard deviation at 10). The higher the T-Score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the inattention scale T-score of the CBCL from base line at 6 weeks and 14 weeks will be used as seondary outcome.

    Measured: Day 0, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 14 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted23 Feb 2023
  2. Study start4 Sep 2023
  3. Primary completion23 Jun 2024
  4. Study completion23 Jun 2024

Resources

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
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
49 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05741307
Sponsor's protocol ID
APHP220842
Other IDs
2022-A01509-34
Acronym
HYPNAAX
Status last verified
Sep 2025
First submitted
3 Nov 2022
Last updated
12 Sep 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Hiltunen, S., Virta, M., Salakari, A., Antila, M., Chydenius, E., Kaski, M., … Partinen, M. (2014). Better long-term outcome for hypnotherapy than for CBT in adults with ADHD: Results of a six-month follow-up. Contemporary Hypnosis and Integrative Therapy, 30, 118-134.

  • Kaiser P. Childhood anxiety and psychophysiological reactivity: hypnosis to build discrimination and self-regulation skills. Am J Clin Hypn. 2014 Apr;56(4):343-67. doi: 10.1080/00029157.2014.884487.

    PubMed 24938076
  • Landier W, Tse AM. Use of complementary and alternative medical interventions for the management of procedure-related pain, anxiety, and distress in pediatric oncology: an integrative review. J Pediatr Nurs. 2010 Dec;25(6):566-79. doi: 10.1016/j.pedn.2010.01.009. Epub 2010 Mar 12.

    PubMed 21035021
  • Richardson J, Smith JE, McCall G, Pilkington K. Hypnosis for procedure-related pain and distress in pediatric cancer patients: a systematic review of effectiveness and methodology related to hypnosis interventions. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2006 Jan;31(1):70-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2005.06.010.

    PubMed 16442484
  • Virta, M., Salakari, A., Antila, M., Chydenius, E., Partinen, M., Kaski, M., & Iivanainen, M. (2010). Hypnotherapy for adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A randomized controlled study. Contemporary Hypnosis, 27, 5-18.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Self-hypnosis application and Questionnaires in people with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, run by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris at 1 site in France.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in severity of attention deficit (time frame: Day 0, 6 weeks, 8 weeks, 14 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05741307, which also lists 5 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Sep 2025.

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