An observational study in ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Healthy Volunteer, sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 10 Years to 17 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-05.
Sponsored by National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) · Observational
Background:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is common in children. It can cause problems with attention and the ability to control actions and impulses. Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is less common in children but not rare. It involves ongoing thoughts, urges, impulses, and repeated behaviors. Researchers want to study differences in brain activity between healthy children, those with ADHD, and those with OCD.
Objective:
To learn more about how the brain controls thinking and behavior.
Eligibility:
People aged 10 to 17 years with ADHD, OCD, or neither.
Design:
Participants will have 3 to 10 clinic visits in up to 1 year. Each visit will last 2 to 3 hours.
Three visits are required:
Behavioral. Participants will complete a computer task. Their mood, memory, attention, and thinking skills will be tested.
EEG. Participants will undergo electroencephalography (EEG) to measure signals in their brain. Small electrodes will be placed on the scalp. A cap will be stretched over the head. Signals will be recorded while participants rest or do tasks on a computer.
MRI. Participants will have a magnetic resonance imaging scan (MRI). They will lie on a table that rolls into a tube. The MRI will take pictures of their brain while they do tasks on a computer.
Seven more visits are optional. These include 2 more EEG visits and 2 more MRI visits.
Three will be magnetoencephalography (MEG) visits: MEG measures small magnetic field changes in the brain. A helmet with sensors will be placed on the head. Brain changes will be recorded while participants rest or do tasks on a computer.
Study Description:
This is a pilot feasibility/tolerability study to evaluate the role of theta frequency oscillations in proactive and reactive control processes in youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). We hypothesize that: 1) Procedures will be tolerable for healthy volunteer (HV) children without a primary DSM-5 diagnosis, youth with ADHD and youth with OCD; 2) Procedures will be feasible for healthy volunteer (HV) children without a primary DSM-5 diagnosis, youth with ADHD and youth with OCD; 3) EEG and fMRI data for the majority of participants will be of sufficient quality for analysis (e.g. without artifact or excessive motion); 4) We will be able to identify cortical sources associated with resting-state and task-evoked theta oscillatory activity. This study will inform a future study where EEG-synchronized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) will modulate theta oscillations to improve cognitive control in youth with ADHD and youth with OCD.
Objectives:
Primary Objectives:
Secondary Objectives:
1. Evaluate the reliability of task performance on cognitive control tasks across sessions.
Exploratory Objectives:
1. Compare the power of resting and task-evoked theta oscillations in the EEG recording across ADHD, OCD, and HV groups.
2a. Evaluate the relation between power in resting-state theta oscillations and task-evoked theta power in the electroencephalogram (EEG).
2b. Evaluate the relationship between power in resting-state theta oscillations in the EEG and task performance.
3. Evaluate the data quality and compare the power of resting and task-evoked theta oscillations in the MEG recording across ADHD, OCD, and HV groups.
4. Compare the BOLD activity, and connectivity within and across "task-positive" function networks (TPNs) across ADHD, OCD, and HV groups.
5. Compare the power of task-evoked EEG and MEG theta oscillations and cortical sources of task-evoked theta oscillations across standardized cognitive control and working memory tasks in youth with ADHD, youth with OCD and HV youth.
6. Develop latent executive functioning factors based on cognitive control and working memory task outcomes and evaluate the relationship between this latent factor and power of resting and task-evoked theta oscillations.
Endpoints:
Primary Endpoints:
Secondary Endpoints:
1. Accuracy and reaction time behavioral responses to cognitive control tasks.
Exploratory Endpoints:
1,817 studies on the registry are indexed under Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; 296 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 110 is below the median of 127 across 329 observational studies indexed under Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity.
Browse Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity studies →National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is the lead sponsor of 367 studies on the registry; 45 are open to participants now.
Of its 25 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 24 (96%) have results posted.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
We aim to collect a sample of 90 youth ages 10-17, 30 with ADHD, 30 with OCD, and 30 age- and sex-matched typically developing healthy volunteer youth with complete data. In order to account for screen failures and participant attrition, we will recruit 110 individuals. Consistent with the sex differences in rates of psychopathology, we expect to enroll more males than females at an approximate 3:1 ratio in the ADHD group and 3:2 ratio in the OCD group, and therefore also more males than females in the sex-matched control group. Recruitment will be limited to DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Ability to provide informed assent and parent consent
ADHD Group: Diagnosis of ADHD based on criteria
OCD Group: Diagnosis of OCD based on DSM-5 criteria
HV Group: No Neurological or Psychiatric diagnosis based on DSM-5 criteria
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
Participants will be screened to exclude participants in whom MRI or EEG might result in increased risk of side effects or complications or whose data would not be scientifically valid.
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.
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.
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.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Youth ages 10-17 without any Neurological or Psychiatric diagnosis based on DSM-5 criteria and Neuropsychological battery of tests.
Youth ages 10-17 with a DSM-5 Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Youth ages 10-17 with a DSM-5 Diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Participant Retention for all visits of the study and task performance.
Withdrawal rates and Accuracy rates on task.
Time frame: At each visit
Adverse Events reported related to study procedures
Patient Reported Negative Side Effects
Time frame: At each visit
Percentage of EEG and fMRI data deemed to be of sufficient quality for analysis (e.g. without artifact or excessive motion).
Amount of analyzable data
Time frame: At time of assessment
Structural cortical region source localized from a combination of the EEG (and MEG in a subset of patients) and fMRI data
Location of brain activation
Time frame: At time of assessment
Accuracy and reaction time behavioral responses to cognitive control tasks.
Computerized Task performance
Time frame: Across all study visits
Plan to share: No
Started Sep 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for May 2029, 32 months after the start.
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 planned 32 months is close to 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.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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