Could a light helmet help kids with ADHD?
NCT ID NCT07154732
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study will test a new, non-invasive treatment called transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) for children with ADHD. The treatment uses light to stimulate the brain. Researchers will enroll 54 children aged 6 to 18 to see if tPBM can improve ADHD symptoms, sleep, and brain activity. The goal is to find a better way to manage ADHD without medication.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 54 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2025
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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6 to 18 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Age between 6 and 18 years; 2. Clinically diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist; 3. Confirmed by the researcher (child psychiatrist) to meet the diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder as outlined in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5); 4. M.I.N.I. KID interview shows only ADHD, with no other comorbidities; 5. Able to cooperate with transcranial photobiomodulation. 6. The participant and their guardian fully understand the study procedures and content and agree to participate in the study, signing the informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosis of other severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder; 2. Presence of severe physical diseases or conditions, such as significant intracranial lesions, thyroid disorders, epilepsy, congenital heart disease, severe hematologic disorders, systemic lupus erythematosus, auditory or visual impairments, etc.; 3. Presence of significant structural brain abnormalities on imaging studies; 4. Presence of severe neurological diseases with a clear family history or potential risk; 5. Presence of metal implants or a pacemaker, or holes or fractures in the skull; 6. Currently undergoing other ADHD treatments (e.g., methylphenidate or other pharmacological treatments, behavioral therapy, etc.) or has discontinued such treatments for less than 2 weeks; 7. Raven's Progressive Matrices IQ score \< 85.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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