EEG-MRI Imaging of Methylphenidate Effects in Adult ADHD and Attentional Symptoms in Mood Disorders
Status:
Not yet recruiting
Trial end date:
2026-12-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adults is a common psychiatric disorder,
with important consequences in terms of quality of life, mental health (associated disorders
and poorer response to treatment), family life, risk of accidents; with a consequent cost for
society.
Adult ADHD is frequently associated with psychiatric co-morbidities, and notably associated
with mood disorders (major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder) in about 50% of cases.
The diagnosis of ADHD in adults is made in patients with an attentional complaint (pure ADHD
or ADHD-P), but also very often in the management of a comorbid mood disorder (ADHD
associated with mood disorder, or ADHD-MD). In this case, the ADHD had no impact during
childhood and adolescence.
Medication management is well established for ADHD-P, and medication is based on
methylphenidate, which has a rapid and significant effect on attentional symptoms and
impulsivity. However, in the case of ADHD-HD, there is little evidence of treatment efficacy
and the mechanisms of action of methylphenidate at the brain level are poorly understood.
The aim of the study is to determine the neural mechanisms of the effect of methylphenidate,
using functional MRI and EEG, in ADHD-P and ADHD-HD patients, and to compare them to healthy
subjects. A single dose allows us to observe effects that are then persistent with repeated
doses. The aim is to determine, by means of a biomarker, whether methylphenidate treatment
responds to the same mechanisms in the different groups and would be relevant in ADHD-P as in
ADHD-HD.
Main objective:
To determine whether methylphenidate impacts differently on brain circuits associated with
cognitive functions in the two clinical populations studied (adult ADHD patients and patients
with post mood disorder attentional deficit) and in comparison to controls.
Secondary objectives:
1. To determine the effect of methylphenidate on baseline brain flow in the two clinical
populations and in controls (healthy subjects).
2. To determine whether methylphenidate has a different impact on cognitive performance in
the two clinical populations studied and in comparison to controls (healthy subjects).
3. To confirm the effect of methylphenidate on the maintenance of cortical arousal.
4. To distinguish the brain networks impacted by methylphenidate (maintenance of attention
or inhibition) with MRI and EEG.