ADHD affects around 10% of children and 4% of adults in the U.S. Treatment typically combines stimulant medications like methylphenidate and amphetamines with behavioral therapy. Many people manage symptoms well with existing medications, but research continues on non-stimulant options, longer-lasting formulations, and treatments for adults.
What's actually going on in research
Trials are testing new non-stimulant medications that work through different brain pathways, extended-release versions of existing drugs to simplify dosing, digital therapeutics approved as prescription treatments, and medications specifically studied in adults. Research also examines how ADHD intersects with anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.
Non-stimulant medications
Several drugs targeting norepinephrine and other pathways are in development for people who don't respond to stimulants or have substance use concerns. Viloxazine was FDA-approved in 2021 and other mechanisms are being tested.
Digital therapeutics
The FDA approved EndeavorRx, a video game treatment for children with ADHD, in 2020. Other prescription digital tools are in trials to improve attention and executive function.
Adult ADHD treatments
More trials now focus specifically on adults, testing medications and behavioral approaches for the unique challenges of managing ADHD at work and in relationships. Many existing drugs were first studied only in children.
What to know before you search
Eligibility typically depends on ADHD severity, age, current medications, and whether you have other conditions like anxiety or substance use history.
What types of trials are currently open
- Medication trials — Testing new stimulant formulations, non-stimulant drugs, or comparing existing medications to see which works best for different people.
- Behavioral intervention trials — Studies of therapy approaches, coaching programs, or organizational skills training, often combined with medication.
- Digital therapeutic trials — Testing apps, video games, or other digital tools designed to improve attention, impulse control, or executive function.
- Combination trials — Comparing medication alone versus medication plus therapy or other non-drug treatments.
- Long-term studies — Following people with ADHD over years to understand how symptoms change with age and how treatments affect long-term outcomes.
Recently added ADHD trials
Smartphone-based Intervention for Young Adults With ADHD
The primary goal of this clinical trial is to test if a smartphone-based intervention is feasible \& acceptable among young adults with ADHD who also engage in risky drinking behaviors. A secondary aim is to test preliminary intervention efficacy. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is the smartphone intervention feasible \& acceptable for participants (e.g., are they responding regularly, is there a low level of burden reported)? Does the smartphone intervention improve symptom awareness, inhibitory control, and problematic alcohol use? Participants will: Attend a virtual baseline visit to assess ADHD, alcohol use, and other life experiences. Complete either the TIPS smartphone intervention or a control smartphone protocol over the course of 31-days, starting the first Friday after the baseline visit. Attend a virtual follow-up visit, where many of the same questions from the baseline visit will be asked again.
Evaluation of the Relationship Between Medication, Eye Movements, and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Functions in Children and Adolescents With ADHD
An increasing number of children are being diagnosed with ADHD, and the demand for ADHD medication has been rising. Although ADHD medication is often effective, this is unfortunately not the case for all children and adolescents with ADHD; furthermore, the majority of those who use the medication experience side effects of some kind. There are currently no known factors that are clearly linked to whether ADHD medications will be effective or cause significant side effects. The healthcare system therefore has limited ability to provide recommendations on ADHD medication at the individual level, which means that most children and adolescents with ADHD try medication. Studies show that 35% of children aged 4-11 and 53% of 12-17-year-olds discontinue ADHD medication within a year. Perhaps these children and adolescents could have avoided fruitless treatment attempts if the healthcare system had been able to provide better recommendations regarding when ADHD medications are most likely to be effective and tolerable treatment options. This, combined with reports of rising mental health issues and an avalanche-like increase in demand for child and adolescent psychiatric services, makes it particularly urgent to develop methods for offering effective interventions to the right patients as specifically as possible. Previous studies have not consistently identified factors (neither genetic nor other factors such as gender, age, symptom severity, symptom profile, or comorbidities) that are linked to the efficacy or side effects of ADHD medications. In this project, we will investigate whether the efficacy and side effects of ADHD medications are linked to eye movements or activity within the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the part of our nervous system that is not under our conscious control. It controls many bodily functions such as pupil size, heart rate, blood pressure, and reactions to stress. Eye and pupil movements are measures of where an individual's attention is directed and how activated the brain is. ADHD is a condition in which the individual has difficulty regulating attention and activity. Therefore, there may be reason to believe that eye movements could be significant in the treatment of ADHD, even though this has never been studied before. Nor has the connection between the autonomic nervous system and the effects of ADHD medications been studied previously, even though changes in heart rate and blood pressure are among the common side effects of ADHD medications. We will invite children and adolescents who are about to begin ADHD medication. Before they start taking the medication, we will measure eye movements, pupil dilation, and the pupil's reaction to light using so-called eye-tracking technology. This is done by having the child or adolescent look at a screen and follow certain instructions while the pupil's movements are measured. We will also measure heart rate variability, i.e., how much the pulse varies, which can be done by continuously measuring the pulse for 10 minutes. We will investigate whether there is a correlation between the characteristics of these eye movement, pupil, and heart factors before medication begins and the extent to which the medication produces effect and side effects. We will also analyze how these factors are affected by the medication. The advantage of these factors is that they can be measured without causing pain. Furthermore, they are objective because they measure time and distance and are therefore not dependent on anyone's personal perceptions, as is so often the case with the rating scales otherwise used in psychiatry. If we can identify correlations between eye movements and activity in the autonomic nervous system and how ADHD medications affect children and adolescents with ADHD, there is a possibility that this could be used to provide better recommendations regarding ADHD medication. Many children could then be recommended other interventions first and avoid unnecessary and unpleasant drug treatments.
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