HYPNAAX: Effect of a Self-hypnosis on Attention Disorders and Anxiety in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Sponsor
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris (Other)
Overall Status
Not yet recruiting
CT.gov ID
NCT05741307
Collaborator
(none)
50
1
2
5.9
8.4

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The prevalence of Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD) varies between 3 and 10% depending on the studies. Comorbidities are frequently associated, in particular anxiety disorders. School, social and family consequences of ADHD can be major, especially in the presence of a comorbidity.

The study goal is to evaluate, through questionnaires, the effect of self-hypnosis via a smartphone application, on the symptoms of inattention and anxiety in children with ADHD in addition to their treatment by methylphenidate. Parents and children complete the study questionnaires three times.

  • T0: at inclusion

  • T1: after 6 weeks of using the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 1 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 2

  • T2: after 6 weeks of use of the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 2 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 1, following the 6 weeks of use of the application.

Condition or Disease Intervention/Treatment Phase
  • Behavioral: Self-hypnosis application
  • Other: Questionnaires
N/A

Detailed Description

The prevalence of Attention Deficit Disorder with or without Hyperactivity (ADHD) varies between 3 and 10% depending on the studies. Comorbidities are frequently associated, in particular anxiety disorders. School, social and family consequences of ADHD can be major especially in the presence of a comorbidity.

The management of ADHD requires an effective multimodal approach to attention disorders and comorbid disorders. In France, the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS, 2014) recommends the combination of drug treatment with methylphenidate (as a second line or, for serious cases, from the first line) and a non-drug treatment such as behavioral therapies, cognitive remediation and psycho-educational support.

As part of this project, and more generally for the care of young ADHD patients, it is interesting to target a method that can be deployed in a relatively controlled way in addition to other non-drug measures and without contradicting them. Hypnosis is a technique that is already widely used in the treatment of pain. In the field of mental health, the clinical use of hypnosis is a relevant strategy to support self-regulation capacities in anxious children. Indeed, this technique offers an easily accessible experience of reducing arousal and dissociating internal physical sensations and perceptions, while promoting attentional focus towards the examination of new possibilities. The repeated use of self-hypnosis incorporating imaginary exposure facilitates the feeling of capacity for action ("empowerment") in the face of anxiety-provoking elements, reduces hyper-reactivity, and leads to the control of physiological reactivity.

In France, it is difficult for families to find structures for the care and monitoring of child's ADHD. The lack of speech therapists (HAS, 2017), the waiting list in public medical institution, the cost of follow-up by private psychologists, the lack of specialized structures are obstacles to care and increase the risk of pejorative evolution. In this context, the use at home by the child of a digitized self-hypnosis tool has all its interest.

The objectives of the study are to evaluate, through questionnaires, the effect of self-hypnosis via a smartphone application, on the symptoms of inattention and anxiety in children with ADHD in addition to taking classical pharmacological load by methylphenidate.

Parents and children complete the study questionnaires three times.

  • T0: at inclusion

  • T1: after 6 weeks of using the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 1 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 2

  • T2: after 6 weeks of use of the self-hypnosis application 5 days out of 7 for group 2 in parallel with the usual treatment / after 6 weeks of usual treatment for the group 1, following the 6 weeks of use of the application.

Study Design

Study Type:
Interventional
Anticipated Enrollment :
50 participants
Allocation:
Randomized
Intervention Model:
Crossover Assignment
Masking:
None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose:
Supportive Care
Official Title:
Effect of a Self-hypnosis Smartphone Application on Attention Disorders and Anxiety in Children With Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Anticipated Study Start Date :
Feb 1, 2023
Anticipated Primary Completion Date :
Aug 1, 2023
Anticipated Study Completion Date :
Aug 1, 2023

Arms and Interventions

Arm Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Patients 2

Patient aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. These patients will use of the self-hypnosis application 6 weeks after inclusion : from T1 to T2.

Behavioral: Self-hypnosis application
The Hypnotidoo application offers screenless self-hypnosis sessions for 5-12 year olds. Each session lasts 6 to 8 minutes and focuses on one of the following themes: stress and anxiety, sleep, daily troubles and discomforts, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating, self-confidence, difficult life events, anger. Each session begins with breathing and refocusing work, followed by self-hypnosis through stories and metaphors suitable for children. The application will be used by patients in the context of research for 6 weeks, 5 days out of 7 in parallel with the usual treatment.
Other Names:
  • Hypnotidoo application
  • Other: Questionnaires
    Before and after (at T0, T1 and T2) the 6-week period of use of the application, self- and hetero-questionnaires which constitute the gold standard for evaluating the symptoms of inattention and anxiety are proposed: Conners III (Conners, 2008), Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Vermeersch & Fombonne, 1997) and R-CMAS (Reynolds & Richmond, 1999). T0: inclusion T1: 6 weeks after T0 (inclusion) T2: 6 weeks after T1
    Other Names:
  • - Conners III (Conners , 2008) - Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Vermeersch & Fombonne, 1997) - R-CMAS (Reynolds & Richmond, 1999)
  • Experimental: Patients 1

    Patient aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital. These patients will use of the self-hypnosis application at inclusion : from T0 (inclusion) to T1.

    Behavioral: Self-hypnosis application
    The Hypnotidoo application offers screenless self-hypnosis sessions for 5-12 year olds. Each session lasts 6 to 8 minutes and focuses on one of the following themes: stress and anxiety, sleep, daily troubles and discomforts, hypersensitivity, hyperactivity and difficulty concentrating, self-confidence, difficult life events, anger. Each session begins with breathing and refocusing work, followed by self-hypnosis through stories and metaphors suitable for children. The application will be used by patients in the context of research for 6 weeks, 5 days out of 7 in parallel with the usual treatment.
    Other Names:
  • Hypnotidoo application
  • Other: Questionnaires
    Before and after (at T0, T1 and T2) the 6-week period of use of the application, self- and hetero-questionnaires which constitute the gold standard for evaluating the symptoms of inattention and anxiety are proposed: Conners III (Conners, 2008), Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Vermeersch & Fombonne, 1997) and R-CMAS (Reynolds & Richmond, 1999). T0: inclusion T1: 6 weeks after T0 (inclusion) T2: 6 weeks after T1
    Other Names:
  • - Conners III (Conners , 2008) - Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach, 1991; Vermeersch & Fombonne, 1997) - R-CMAS (Reynolds & Richmond, 1999)
  • Outcome Measures

    Primary Outcome Measures

    1. Change in severity of attention deficit [Day 0, 6 weeks, 12 weeks]

      The severity of attention deficit is assessed with the Conners 3 questionnary (Conner's, 2008). It provide information's for information for 11 scales and includes 110 questions. Our research will focus on the T-score of inattention scale (mean=100, standard deviation=10). The higher the score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the inattention scale T-score from base line at 6 weeks and 12 weeks will be used as primary outcome.

    Secondary Outcome Measures

    1. Change in severity of anxiety with a self-questionnaire [Day 0, 6 weeks, 12 weeks]

      Assessment with the Revised-Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (R-CMAS). The R-CMAS is a self-questionnaire of 28 anxiety items and 9 lying items. It provides scores for Total Anxiety and 4 subscales: Physiological Anxiety, Worry/Sensitivity, Social Concerns/Concentration, Lie Scale. The notation is binary: true/false. Our research will focus on anxiety total T-score (mean at 50, standard deviation at 10). The higher the T-Score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the anxiety total R-CMAS T-score from base line at 6 weeks and 12 weeks will be used as seondary outcome.

    2. Change in severity of anxiety with a hetero-questionnaire [Day 0, 6 weeks, 12 weeks]

      Assessment with the Child Behavior Checklist inventory (CBCL). The CBCL provides information on 6 scales: Anxious/Depressed, Withdrawn/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior. It includes 113 questions, noted from 0 to 2, depending on the presence of each symptom. Our research will focus on the T-score of the anxiety/Depressed scale (mean at 50, standard deviation at 10). The higher the T-Score is, the severed the symptom is. The change of the inattention scale T-score of the CBCL from base line at 6 weeks and 12 weeks will be used as seondary outcome.

    Eligibility Criteria

    Criteria

    Ages Eligible for Study:
    7 Years to 12 Years
    Sexes Eligible for Study:
    All
    Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
    No
    Inclusion Criteria:
    • Patient of French mother tongue, aged 7 to 12 with a diagnosis of ADHD made by a child psychiatrist or neuropediatrician according to DSM-5 criteria

    • Patient treated with methylphenidate and followed by the child psychiatry department - Reference Center for Language and Learning Disorders of the Necker Enfants Malades Hospital

    • Information and consent of holders of parental authority and of the patient

    Exclusion Criteria:
    • Presence of an intellectual disability

    • Presence of an autism spectrum disorder

    Contacts and Locations

    Locations

    Site City State Country Postal Code
    1 Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades Paris France 75015

    Sponsors and Collaborators

    • Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

    Investigators

    • Principal Investigator: Catherine Grosmaitre, PhD, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

    Study Documents (Full-Text)

    None provided.

    More Information

    Publications

    None provided.
    Responsible Party:
    Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
    ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
    NCT05741307
    Other Study ID Numbers:
    • APHP220842
    • 2022-A01509-34
    First Posted:
    Feb 23, 2023
    Last Update Posted:
    Feb 23, 2023
    Last Verified:
    Feb 1, 2023
    Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
    No
    Plan to Share IPD:
    No
    Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product:
    No
    Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product:
    No
    Keywords provided by Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
    Additional relevant MeSH terms:

    Study Results

    No Results Posted as of Feb 23, 2023