ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT01721720Updated Oct 16, 2024

Genetic, Brain Structure, and Environmental Effects on ADHD

An observational study in Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity, sponsored by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 3 Years and older, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-10-16.

Sponsored by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
1,091
Ages
3 Years and older
Sex
All
01

Where this study stands

Counted across the records on this site · 2026-11-12

Among 807 studies in Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity with a site in United States — 98 open to participants now, 116 under way, 5 of them phase 3. Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity · United States.

Enrollment
16th of 98
1,091 · median 115
Started
2012
with 29 others
Observational
99 of 807
18 open now
Registered
327th of 807
by date

Among the 807 studies in Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity with a site in United States, this one is the 16th largest by enrollment of the 98 observational ones, is one of 30 that started in 2012, is one of 99 observational ones, and was the 327th registered.

By phase

807 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.

No phase283 · 50 open
Phase 4148 · 18 open
Phase 3121 · 4 open
Observationalthis study99 · 18 open
Phase 280 · 3 open
Phase 148 · 3 open
Phase 1/214 · 2 open
Phase 2/314 · 0 open

By the year they started

First in 1985; this study’s year is marked. 30 started in 2012.

Size and results

Median enrollment 70 across the 706 interventional studies, 115 across the 98 observational. Of the 644 that completed or were terminated, 302 (47%) have results posted.

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Watch this landscapeDownload CSVWith an account: a weekly mail of what changed among 807 studies in Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity with a site in United States, or all of them as a file.
02

Study summary

Background:

  • Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common and inheritable of all neuropsychiatric disorders. It causes problems with attention and impulse control. However, the genetic component of ADHD has not been fully studied, including how genes interact with the environment. Researchers want to study children and adults who have ADHD. They will look at how genetic, brain structure, and environmental factors affect ADHD in children and adults.

Objectives:

  • To study genetic, brain structure, and environmental factors in ADHD in children and adults.

Eligibility:

  • Individuals at least 3 years of age who have ADHD.

Design:

  • Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history.
  • Participants will be interviewed about their ADHD. They will also complete behavior and psychological tests. Parents or guardians will complete the tests along with participants under 18 years of age.
  • Participants will provide saliva or blood samples.
  • Participants will also have imaging studies of the brain.
  • Participants under 25 years of age will return once a year to repeat the tests. Those over 25 years of age will have only the one set of tests. Those who are starting stimulant drugs and who are receiving behavioral treatment for the first time will also have another set of tests 12 weeks after the start of treatment.
Read the detailed description

OBJECTIVES:

This study aims to provide novel phenotypes for genomic studies into Attention- Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one of the most common and heritable of all neuropsychiatric disorders. It proposes to split the disorder into neurobiologically more meaningful entities by delineating subgroups based on neurobehavioral profiles. It will also explore factors that impact clinical course, focusing on the neural effects of treatment and the role of the child s social environment.

POPULATION AND DESIGN:

Using a prospective longitudinal design, a group of children and adolescents with ADHD will be followed. Additionally, families that have several members affected by ADHD will be recruited.

OUTCOMES:

The study will link the onset and clinical course of ADHD with genotype, brain structure and function, behavior and the child s social environment.

03

Conditions studied

  • Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity

Keywords

  • Peer and Family Networks
  • Longitudinal Outcome
  • MRI Imaging
  • Genetics
  • Childhood Psychiatric Disorders
  • Natural History
04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
3 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Children, adolescents, and adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and healthy controls. Some participants will be from families that have many individuals affected by ADHD.

Eligibility criteria

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS:

Three or more years of age with no upper limit for age at time of enrollment. The lower limit of 3 years of age is chosen as it is difficult to diagnose ADHD below this age, but the diagnosis can be reliably made from age 3 onwards. As this study examines the developmental trajectories of ADHD into adulthood, no upper age limit has been set.

INCLUSION CRITERIA FOR CLINICAL POPULATIONS:

, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) defined ADHD. The DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD will be based on the Parent Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents in participants 18 years or age and younger and the

Structured clinical interview for the Diagnosis of DSM Disorders for participants above 18 years of age. We include all forms of ADHD in DSM-5 (i.e. combined, predominately hyperactive/impulsive, predominately inattentive and other specified presentations). ADHD is rarely found in isolation and comorbidity is common. Thus the protocol will include individuals with ADHD and the

following disorders: oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, specific phobias), tic disorders, mood disorders (dysthymia, depression); specific learning disabilities and disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

We will also include families where there is a incidence of >30% of ADHD in first, second and third degree relatives. This level is chosen as it is well above the incidence rate of ADHD in the general population (\~5-7%). Additional inclusion criteria are families where the proband has at least one sibling and only one or neither parent is affected.

In studying the acute effects of treatment we will include all participants with ADHD who are starting psychostimulant medications for the first time (all psychostimulant preparations are included). We will also include participants with ADHD who are receiving behavioral

management for ADHD for the first time.

INCLUSIONS CRITERIA FOR THE FAMILY STUDY:

We will also include families where there is a incidence of >30% of ADHD in first, second and third degree relatives. This level is chosen as it is well above the incidence rate of ADHD in the general population (\~5-7%). Additional inclusion criteria are families where the proband has at least one sibling and only one or neither parent is affected.

We have already identified families of our currently enrolled probands in which at least 4 other first, second or third degree relatives have a current diagnosis of ADHD or had this diagnosis in childhood (and have a similar number of unaffected relatives). We will recruit further families with a similar density of individual affected by ADHD.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS:

Full scale IQ of less than 70. Below this level a child is considered to have global intellectual disability (classified in DSM-IVR as mental retardation). By definition this means the individual cannot be considered to be a healthy control . While many individual with IQ below 70 have symptoms of ADHD, the diagnosis is complicated by problems in assessing attentional abilities.

Finally, there are often issues around the ability to give in adults with global intellectual disability.

Birth before 32 weeks of gestation. Premature birth can have a profound effect on brain function and structure.

Presence or history of medical conditions known to affect cerebral anatomy (eg epilepsy, history of stroke). Genetic syndromes which are associated with well-established alterations of gross cerebral structure- such as NF1, tuberous sclerosis and some forms of epilepsy. Children with known microdeletion syndromes will not be excluded provided (1) the syndrome is not known to be associated with alteration of cerebral anatomy (detectable on current clinical MRI sequences) and (2) other exclusionary criteria do not apply such as global intellectual impairment (defined in this protocol as IQ above 70). Data from these individuals with microdeletion syndromes will

not however be included in GWAS due to analytic complications.

Dental braces (as these distort the MRI image). Metal in the body or other for MRI scanning. For females who have reached menarche and have not yet past menopause: pregnancy or inability or unwillingness to undergo pregnancy testing (for MRI

safety).

For participants 60 years or older. Folstein score of 26 or greater. This is a widely accepted screening test for dementia.

ADDITIONAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS ONLY: Presence of any DSM-IV psychiatric disorder in the subject or current use of psychiatric medication.

ADDITIONAL EXCLUSION CRITERIA FOR THE CLINICAL POPULATION ONLY:

Some neuropsychiatric disorders are either so rare or associated with such profound alterations of brains structure and function that they will be excluded. This includes psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia, psychosis NOS) bipolar affective disorder; autism, substance dependence; dementia.

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(4)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

DSM diagnostic criteria

The American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental health diagnoses. DSM-5 (2013, revised as DSM-5-TR in 2022) replaced DSM-IV, and some studies still name the older edition. “Meets DSM criteria for …” means diagnosed by that edition’s diagnostic criteria, usually by a clinician in an interview.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

Contraindication

A reason a treatment, test or procedure should not be given to a particular person, such as an allergy, another illness or a medicine they take.

MMSE and MoCA

Short tests of memory and thinking, each scored out of 30. Lower scores suggest more difficulty; criteria give a range, either to include people with memory problems or to leave them out.

05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
1,091 participants (actual)

Groups and cohorts

  • Participants with and without ADHD

    Participants with and without ADHD

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Brain MRI

    Trajectories of brain development

    Time frame: yearly or at the participant's availability

Secondary outcomes

  1. DNA collection, clinical interviews, social network information gathering

    To explore the neural, genomic and socio-environmental factors that determine the course of ADHD

    Time frame: yearly or at the participant's convenience

07

Study locations

1 site
  • National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
    Bethesda, Maryland 20892, United States
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Yes — All de-identified medical information will be placed in a NIH repository (e.g., Biomedical Translational Research Information System (BTRIS)) in accordance to NIH policies. We will also share genomic and phenotypic data in controlled access databases such as dbGAP (database of Genotypes and Phenotypes). Other databases may be used as approved by NIH for the sharing of de-identified data.

Supporting information: Study protocol

Time frame: The timeline for data sharing will follow the NHGRI Genomic Data Sharing Policy. Currently data is deposited following IRB review once the study data collection is complete and the data has undergone quality control steps.

Access criteria: Access requests for specific research purposes using NIH controlled-access data are reviewed by NIH Data Access Committees (DACs).

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reachedSimilar studies: half by the dot; the band is the middle halfHalf of similar studies reached it by the dot; the band is the middle half, from a quarter to three quarters

Ran from Nov 2012 to primary completion in Jul 2024, 140 months.

Of 85 non-industry observational studies under Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, half reached primary completion within 35 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 18 and three quarters within 69. This study's 140 months is above that.

Counting every sponsor, half of 95 studies reached it within 35 months; a quarter within 20 and three quarters within 69.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Nov 2, 2012
First posted
Nov 6, 2012
StartActual
Nov 9, 2012
Primary completionActual
Jul 25, 2024
CompletionActual
Jul 25, 2024
Last update
Oct 16, 2024
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Oct 16, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT01721720
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Nov 6, 2012
Start date
Nov 9, 2012
Primary completion
Jul 25, 2024
Completion
Jul 25, 2024
Last update
Oct 16, 2024

Study contacts

Wallace P Shaw, M.D.
principal investigator · National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2024. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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