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Completed

NCT Number: NCT07591896

Adding VR-Based Episodic Future Thinking Training to Executive- Function Training for Children With ADHD: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study recruited 80 children aged 5-12 with clinically diagnosed ADHD from Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, and randomly divided them into two groups with 40 children in each group: the EF-only group and the EF+VR-EFT group. Both groups received a 2-week intervention with 5 sessions per week

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Key information

Conditions

ADHD Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders Mental Disorders Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Age range

5 year–12 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Qilu Hospital of Shandong University

Jinan, Shandong, China

About this study

This study recruited 80 children aged 5-12 with clinically diagnosed ADHD from Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, and randomly divided them into two groups with 40 children in each group: the EF-only group and the EF+VR-EFT group. Both groups received a 2-week intervention with 5 sessions per week

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged 5-12 years with a clinical diagnosis of ADHD confirmed by a multidisciplinary clinical team according to DSM-5 criteria.
  • Normal intellectual functioning.
  • Absence of major neurological or medical disorders.

Exclusion criteria

  • Participants with incomplete or missing questionnaire data (8 cases were excluded based on this criterion in the study).

Treatment and study plan

executive function

Behavioral

Control Group (EF-only group): Participants received a 2-week standardized, non-immersive conventional executive function (EF) training, with 6 sessions per week (45 minutes per session) under researcher supervision, targeting core executive processes such as inhibitory control and working memory.

Experimental Group (EF+VR-EFT group): On the basis of the same conventional EF training as the control group, participants additionally completed a 20-minute VR-based episodic future thinking (VR-EFT) module per session, delivered via PICO headsets through immersive gameplay in a controlled clinical setting.

a VR-based episodic future thinking

Behavioral

Experimental Group (EF+VR-EFT group): On the basis of the same 2-week conventional EF training, participants additionally completed a VR-based episodic future thinking (VR-EFT) module in each session. Their executive function achieved more significant and stable improvements, particularly in higher-order domains.

Primary outcomes

  1. BRIEF score

    Time frame: two weeks

    The main outcome measures of the study were assessed via the BRIEFfocusing on executive function changes after the 2-week intervention,BRIEF-assessed executive function changes, with specific difficulty score reductions in inhibition and metacognition

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Qilu Hospital of Shandong University

Other

Registry information

Acronym: Virtual Realit

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
May 18, 2026
Registry last updated
May 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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