This ADHD Clinical Trial Is The First of Its Kind for Teens

Bradley Hospital in Rhode Island is investigating a new treatment for ADHD in teenagers involving transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a non-invasive brain stimulation technique. Dr. Brian Kavanaugh, leading the research, explains that TMS targets the prefrontal cortex, a brain region crucial for attention, memory, and control. “Transcranial magnetic stimulation is a non-invasive way to activate patches of the brain to increase brain activity and improve clinical symptoms,” Dr. Kavanaugh told WJAR in an interview. A Black teenage participant, Amaya Harvey, struggled with ADHD symptoms despite traditional treatments like medication and dietary changes. Her mother, Keesha Ingram, enrolled her in the TMS trial. Initial results were promising, but symptoms returned over time. A subsequent booster treatment proved beneficial. “My brain would run really fast. I wouldn’t be able to say stuff fluently so I would say something and it would come out fast, people wouldn’t understand me,” Harvey also told WJAR. While the study is still ongoing, with more participants needed, early findings suggest TMS is safe and potentially effective for ADHD in teenagers. Researchers are now focused on determining the long-term benefits of the treatment. How does ADHD affect Black children? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder...