A recent study of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found that an AI-driven digital cognitive program led to greater reductions in impulsiveness and inattentiveness scores compared to a control treatment. The results suggest that these improvements were achieved by enhancing the children’s neurophysiological efficiency. The findings were published in npj Mental Health Research.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. It typically begins in childhood and can persist into adolescence and adulthood. ADHD can negatively affect academic performance, work productivity, and social relationships.
The disorder is most often diagnosed during childhood, particularly when a child enters school. In that context, ADHD symptoms often come into conflict with classroom rules and expectations. It is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting approximately 2–7% of children worldwide.
Treatment for ADHD may involve medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of both. However, psychotherapy is often expensive and not widely accessible, while medication primarily manages symptoms without addressing underlying emotional or cognitive issues.
Study author Danylyna Shpakivska Bilan and her colleagues sought to evaluate the efficacy of Sincrolab’s digital cognitive treatment (KAD_SCL_01) in improving inhibitory control in children diagnosed with the combined subtype of ADHD (ADHD-C), which includes both inattentive and hyperactive-impulsive symptoms.
Sincrolab DCT (KAD_SCL_01) is an AI-powered digital cognitive therapy platform designed to enhance cognitive function in children with ADHD. It delivers personalized training through interactive games on mobile devices, dynamically adapting to each child’s performance to target specific cognitive deficits.
The study included 56 children diagnosed with ADHD-C, although only 41 completed the full 12-week intervention and were included in the final analysis. Participants were recruited from healthcare facilities, schools, and community associations in Madrid, Spain, and ranged in age from 8 to 11 years.
Children were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received the Sincrolab DCT (KAD_SCL_01) treatment, while the control group played three entertainment games—Knightmare Tower, Bloons Super Monkey, and Super Stacker 2—all freely available on the Kongregate gaming platform. Both groups used mobile devices at home for the duration of the 12-week program.
Before and after the intervention, participants completed a battery of neuropsychological assessments and underwent magnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive imaging technique that measures magnetic fields produced by brain activity. MEG allows researchers to track neural function with high temporal resolution.
The results showed that children in the Sincrolab group experienced reductions in impulsiveness and inattentiveness, while those in the control group did not show significant changes. The authors report that these behavioral improvements were associated with normalized MEG spectral profiles, suggesting neural maturation.
“Improvements in inhibitory control, linked to normalized spectral profiles, suggest AI-driven digital cognitive therapy can reduce impulsiveness in ADHD children by enhancing neurophysiological efficiency. This emphasizes personalized, technology-driven ADHD treatment, using neurophysiological markers for assessing efficacy,” the study authors concluded.
The study contributes to the scientific knowledge about the effectiveness of AI-driven digital cognitive programs for mitigating ADHD symptoms. However, it should be noted that the study was conducted on a very small group of children. Additionally, children selected for participation were those not taking ADHD medication and without any other significant psychiatric disorders. Results on larger or different groups might differ.
The paper, “Decreased impulsiveness and MEG normalization after AI-digital therapy in ADHD children: a RCT,” was authored by Danylyna Shpakivska Bilan, Irene Alice Chicchi Giglioli , Pablo Cuesta, Elena Cañadas, Ignacio de Ramón, Fernando Maestú, Jose Alda, Josep Antoni Ramos-Quiroga, Jorge A. Herrera, Alfonso Amado, and Javier Quintero.