Project 466587

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. When attention difficulties are left untreated, they can result in serious long-term consequences. Stimulant medications are the primary treatment for children with ADHD but they can be ineffective, have undesired side effects, and can carry a social stigma that stops parents from using the treatment. This project will investigate a new potential treatment option for children with ADHD with the goal to improve patient outcomes. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a safe form of non-invasive brain stimulation, can use magnetic fields in a specific area of the brain to stimulate nerve cells. A brain region called the right superior frontal gyrus (rSFG) has been identified as an area with chemical differences in children with ADHD. We will use rTMS to target the rSFG in children with ADHD and determine if it can improve their attention abilities and if that is related to their chemical changes in the brain. Attention abilities will be determined using behavioural tests. The chemical changes in the brain will be measured using a non-invasive magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scan. Together, we expect that rTMS will alter the levels of chemicals in the rSFG and will be related to an improvement in attention abilities after the treatment. Children aged 8-15 with ADHD will be asked to participate in treatment for one hour a day, 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The participants will be randomly assigned to an active or placebo group. We hope to show that attention abilities are improved in the group that receives active treatment.