Can a brain scan predict ADHD drug response?
NCT ID NCT04781972
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study uses brain imaging (fMRI and MRS) to see how a single dose of methylphenidate changes brain activity and glutamate levels in 30 adults with ADHD. Participants will receive both the drug and a placebo in a double-blind crossover design. The goal is to find brain-based markers that could predict who will benefit from methylphenidate, helping to develop better treatments in the future.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- methylphenidate
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help identify brain-based markers that predict who will respond to methylphenidate, potentially guiding more personalized ADHD treatment.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase imaging study with only 30 participants. It measures short-term brain changes after a single dose, not long-term treatment outcomes. Results may not translate to clinical practice.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jul 2021
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2029
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 40 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: * right handed Exclusion Criteria: * pregnant or breast feeding * past or current neurological disorder * non-ADHD cause of cognitive impairment * uncontrolled medical disorder * head trauma with loss of consciousness in the last year or any evidence of functional impairment due to and persisting after head trauma * having an adverse reaction to methylphenidate, or other stimulant medication * having a contraindication to MRI * current smoking
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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 places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
RECRUITINGBaltimore, Maryland, 21205, United States
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