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Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation of Executive Functions in Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Key facts

Who runs it
Merja Nikula
Where
Finland1 site in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
88 people, planned
Started
10 Jan 2024
Expected to end
31 Dec 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 4 groupsOne group gets no study treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Parental Guidance
  • Virtual Reality Game
Record updated
3 November 2026

Who can take part

Age
8 years to 12 years
Sex
Women and men
Healthy volunteers
Cannot take part

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 13 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • Diagnosis of ADHD (ICD-10 F90.0) and
  • Methylphenidate medication and
  • Age 8-12 years and
  • Finnish as a native language

Who cannot take part

  • Epilepsy (ICD-10 G40),
  • Pervasive developmental disorders (ICD-10 F84),
  • Inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (ICD-10 G00-G09),
  • Severe cerebral palsy syndrome (ICD-10 G80, GMFCS 4-5, MACS 3-5),
  • Sensitivity to flashing light,
  • Mental retardation (ICD-10 F70-F79),
  • Traumatic brain injury ((ICD-10 S06),
  • Brain tumour, and
  • Multiple pregnancy

Check if you might fit

Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.

  • Are you between 8 and 12 years old?

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is caused by an abnormality in the development of the central nervous system. Children with attention and executive function difficulties often need long-lasting rehabilitation and there is an increasing need for timely, cost-effective, and feasible rehabilitation interventions, where the training is targeted to support everyday life functional capacity. The use of Virtual Reality (VR) in the rehabilitation of children with attention and executive function deficits offers opportunities to practice skills required in everyday life in environments emulating real-life situations.

Read full original descriptionShow less

The major aim of this research project is to develop a novel effective VR rehabilitation method for children with deficits in attention, activity control and executive functions by using the virtual environment that corresponds to the typical everyday life. In this randomized control study VR glasses are used to present the tasks, and the levels of difficulty are adjusted according to the child's progress.

Researchers expect that; 1) Intensive training improves the attention regulation, activity control skills and executive functions of the children in the intervention group; 2) Training of executive skills with motivating tasks in a virtual environment that is built to meet challenging everyday situations transfers to the child's everyday life, 3) The duration of the training effect does not depend on the success of the VR training itself, but on how well the child adopts new strategies that make everyday life easier and how the parent is able to support the child's positive behaviour in everyday life.

The 4 groups in the trial

  • Parental Guidance+Virtual Reality GameTreatment being tested

    Treatment: Parental Guidance and Virtual Reality Game

  • Parental GuidanceTreatment being tested
  • Virtual Reality GameTreatment being tested
  • Control GroupNo study treatment, for comparison

    This group implement the rehabilitation plan drawn up in specialized medical care (treatment as usual).

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Virtual Reality in Rehabilitation of Executive Functions in Children (VREALFUN)
Fit questions
Built from NCT06123741, who can take part
Record updated
3 November 2026