# Teaching attentional awareness and control in ADHD

> **NIH NIH R44** · THINK NOW, INC. · 2021 · $1,087,845

## Abstract

ABSTRACT. ADHD is a highly prevalent disorder that creates significant professional, social and personal
difficulties for the patients - there is a real need for additional, non-pharmacological treatments. The target of
our product is inconsistent control of sustained attention, an important remediation target for ADHD with
major real-life impact. Sustained attention is related to symptom severity and correlated with real-life functions
such as reading, listening, driving and work safety. Sustained attention measures and inattention symptoms in
ADHD have also been correlated with academic achievement. Our Sustained Attention Control (SAC) teaching
approach is quite different from ‘brain training’ methods and uses an innovative (patented) approach based on
models and evidence-based studies of experiential learning. It includes 6 essential teaching factors, identified in
the literature for promoting meaningful learning and transfer, that differentiate us from existing products (Table
1, Commercialization Plan). Better transfer can occur when a conceptual understanding of attentional control,
self-awareness and metacognitive skills are developed. In a previous Phase-I project we built a prototype of our
SAC teaching mobile-software and tested it in a full RCT, double-blind, active control, study (n=63). We found
significantly greater improvements in the SAC group than the active Control group on both primary outcome
measures: a sustained attention measure (Conners CPT RT Variability), and time-limited reading
comprehension (Nelson-Denny Reading Test), demonstrating far transfer to a standardized test of an important
real-life activity impaired in adults with ADHD. Based on exit interviews from that study we conducted additional
design work and extensive customer research that revealed that adults with ADHD need an additional step of
training that develops metacognitive skills for applying their attentional awareness to daily life. In answer to this
need, we designed the Learning-To-Transfer module (Phase-I of this Fast Track) with the expectation that, when
integrated with SAC (Phase-II of this Fast Track), it will amplify our prior far transfer results. The exit interviews
also identified areas for improvement of the SAC modules related to UX and motivation/adherence to be built in
Phase-II. We will: PHASE-I:Aim-1: Build and test the Learning-To-Transfer (LTT) module, a complex attentive
listening task simulating daily life listening challenges, with performance feedback. PHASE-II: Aim-2: Integrate
LTT into the SAC teaching program. Build software tools to improve UX ease of use; add a training exercise and
increase skins for variety; improve difficulty leveling; add new prescriptive tool for reflection and applications of
learning to daily-life activities. PHASE-II: Aim-3: Test the efficacy of fully integrated prototype (expanded
SAC+LTT) with a RCT, double-blind, active control study with 140 participants, using an Intention-To-Treat
design, with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10252015
- **Project number:** 5R44MH122109-03
- **Recipient organization:** THINK NOW, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** GREGORY V SIMPSON
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $1,087,845
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-02 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10252015

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10252015, Teaching attentional awareness and control in ADHD (5R44MH122109-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10252015. Licensed CC0.

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