Brain-Training showdown: which memory game works best for teens?

NCT ID NCT07147894

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: Northeastern University Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study is testing different types of computer-based brain training in 780 teenagers, some with ADHD and some without. The goal is to find out which training methods—like adding game elements or varying the number of tasks—work best for improving memory and focus. Participants will complete 40 training sessions over 4 weeks, plus tests and surveys before, after, and 6 months later.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance: brain-training exercises (computer-based tasks like memory games)
What this could lead to: If successful, this could point toward more effective, personalized brain-training programs for teens with attention or memory difficulties.
What could go wrong: This is an early-stage study focused on understanding how training works, not on proving a treatment. Results may not lead to clear benefits, and individual outcomes can vary widely.

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

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

About 780 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Started

Dec 2025

Expected to finish

Jun 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

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

12 to 17 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

Show 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: * 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.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, inattentive type attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder cognitive disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Cognitive change

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

The places running it

1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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.

Brain-Training showdown: which memory game works best for teens?

What the study statuses mean