Recruiting

Executive Function Training

Sponsor:

Northeastern University

Code:

NCT07147894

Conditions

Cognitive Change

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 12 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Interventions

Nongamified N-back training

Gamified N-back training

Multiple Domain Training

Nongamified N-back training

Coaching Session

Study Details

Brief summary:

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate how different approaches to executive function (like adding game-like features, varying the number of tasks, and providing coaching) can enhance executive function outcomes in adolescents with and without ADHD. The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • What components of executive function training contribute most to improving outcomes?
  • How do training components vary in their impacts on adolescents diagnosed with ADHD compared to those without a diagnosis?
  • What individual characteristics influence the effectiveness of executive function training?

Researchers will test six different training setups to examine which setups are the most effective for different people. They will evaluate both how well participants follow the training schedule and whether there are changes in psychological and cognitive outcomes after training.

Participants will complete:

  • 40 training sessions over 4 weeks
  • A set of tests and surveys before and after the training
  • Follow-up assessments and surveys 6 months after finishing the training

Conditions

Cognitive Change

Study ID

NCT07147894

Start date

Dec 14, 2025

Status verified date

Dec, 2025

Completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Jun 30, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 12 - 17

Healthy Volunteers: Accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 12-17 years old.
  • Child must have a caregiver (parent/guardian) who is available to participate as a training aide.
  • Child and parent/caregiver are able to understand/speak adequate English or Spanish to follow and participate in study procedures
  • Both child and parent/guardian are willing to give informed consent/assent, be randomized to either intervention condition, and be willing to follow the assigned study protocol.
  • \~50% of the participants: Meet criteria for ADHD DSM-5 diagnosis.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Child is taking ADHD medication/stimulants.
  • Child has been formally identified as intellectually disabled.
  • Abnormal visual acuity or hearing challenges that are prohibitive to participating in the intervention/assessment.
  • History of organic mental disorders (conditions or disturbances that may be caused by injuries and/or neurodegenerative diseases affecting brain tissues), psychosis, history of autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, or active substance use or suicidal ideation (such individuals will be referred to psychiatric services).
  • Major sensory or motor impairment that would preclude valid cognitive testing.
  • Participants with color blindness, if they are unable to discriminate the task relevant stimuli.
  • Populations considered vulnerable such as wards and those with neurological or other health conditions that may prevent the ability to give informed consent.

Study Design

Enrollment

780 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Basic Science

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: Non Gamified N-back Training

Participants train on a non gamified version of the N-back task.

experimental: Gamified N-back Training

Participants train on a gamified version of the N-back task.

experimental: Multiple Domain Training

Participants train on N-Back, Complex Span, Set Shifting (Polyrules), and Inhibitory Control.

experimental: Non Gamified N-back Training with Coaching

Participants train on a non gamified version of the N-Back task and will receive weekly, motivational coaching sessions via videoconference.

experimental: Gamified N-back Training with Coaching

Participants train on a gamified version of the N-back task and will receive weekly, motivational coaching sessions via videoconference.

experimental: Multiple Domain Training with Coaching

Participants train on gamified N-back training, Complex Span, Set Shifting, and Inhibitory Control and also receive weekly, motivational coaching sessions via videoconference.

Interventions

Nongamified N-back training

This Single Task Training is an adaptive N-back task in which participants respond to colors and/or shapes.

Gamified N-back training

Participants train on a gamified version of the N-back task, specifically, players control an astronaut that collects resources (target stimuli) needed to feed a colony and keep the technology working, while avoiding non-targets and other obstacles.

Multiple Domain Training

Participants train on a gamified versions of the N-back task, Complex span, Set-shifting and Inhibitory control task.

Nongamified N-back training

This Single Task Training trains a visual, adaptive N-back task in which participants respond to colors and/or shapes.

Coaching Session

Participants in coaching conditions receive weekly, motivational coaching sessions via videoconference to (i) provide encouragement taking into account individual training performance and self-reported engagement (strength-based feedback), (ii) set realistic goals for training (time management, scheduling, and session completion plan, performance goals) while emphasizing autonomy and choice, and (iii) re-explain task and provide corrective feedback as needed.

Primary outcome measure

  • Adherence Composite [ Time Frame: 40 training sessions (weeks 2-5) ]
  • Working Memory Composite [ Time Frame: pre-test (week 1), post-test (week 6), and 1 follow-up session at least 6 months after post-test (week 30). ]
  • Inhibition/Flexibility Composite [ Time Frame: pre-test (week 1), post-test (week 6), and 1 follow-up session at least 6 months after post-test (week 30). ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Audrey Carrillo, MA

(626) 482-8091a.carrillo@northeastern.edu

Jinlin Liu, MA

(774) 226-9323‬jinl.liu@northeastern.edu

Locations

Northeastern University

Recruiting

Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115

Principal Investigator:

Aaron Seitz, PhD

More Information

Sponsor

Northeastern University

Last update posted

Dec 23, 2025

Last verified

Dec, 2025

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • Executive Function Training
  • Motivational coaching
  • Cognitive Training

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Northeastern University on 2025-12-23.