Teenage future thinking study (TFTS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The link between episodic prospection and future-oriented decisions in adolescent attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder: behavioural and electrophysiological correlates.
IRAS ID
249894
Contact name
Edmund Sonuga-Barke
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
There are many gaps in our understanding of processes that underpin decision-making deficits in ADHD. Specifically, it is not clear whether the dysregulation of the ability to mentally create personally-relevant future events and episodes (i.e., episodic prospection) is a risk factor for poor decision-making in ADHD. Therefore, this study aims to:
(1) use electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the neural activity underpinning episodic prospection in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.
(2) examine the immediate effects of engaging in episodic prospection on economic decision-making in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD.This is an important area of research; on the one hand, with growing independence, adolescent decision-making gradually becomes autonomous and unconstrained adult-imposed rules. On the other hand, adolescence is the time when young people not only are required to make important decisions about their future, but they also must engage in goal-directed behavior that will facilitate fulfilling long-term plans. Due to the documented deficits, adolescents with ADHD may find it particularly difficult to make good decisions. For example, compared to their healthy peers, they may be more prone to making impulsive choices or have difficulty in following the plan to achieve long-term goals. The consequences of altered capacity for optimal decision-making in ADHD may have implications for the academic life and future career prospects, as well as for adherence to pharmacological and psychological treatment.
The study will be conducted in the EEG lab located in the Henry Welcome Building (HWB) at the Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, KCL. Adolescents aged 12-17 (n=40) who have a diagnosis of ADHD will be eligible to participate. Participation will require one 2-hour visit to the HWB lab where adolescents will complete a short IQ assessment and two questionnaires followed with a series of tasks during which we will measure their naturally occurring brain activity.Summary of Result
The study had been paused due to the Covid-19 related restrictions. This was a small unfunded study, and it was not feasible to restart it after a prolonged period of restrictions on face-to-face data collection. A decision was taken to terminate the project in August 2021. The recruited sample is not sufficient to conduct any formal analysis, therefore we present a brief overview of the study and a description of the sample.
The project aimed to extend our understanding of processes that underpin decision-making deficits in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Due to the documented deficits, adolescents with ADHD may find it particularly difficult to make good decisions. For example, compared to their typically developing peers, they may be more prone to making impulsive choices or have difficulty in following the plan to achieve long-term goals. The consequences of altered capacity for optimal decision-making in ADHD may have implications for the academic life and future career prospects, as well as for adherence to pharmacological and psychological treatment.
In this study, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to measure the neural activity underpinning the ability to mentally create personally relevant future events (called episodes episodic prospection) in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD. We also examined the immediate effects of engaging in episodic prospection on economic decision-making in a temporal discounting task. Finally, we asked adolescents to complete questionnaires reporting on their ADHD symptoms, delay aversion, and future orientation and complete the IQ test.
Seventeen adolescents provided data for the study (females, n = 3). Their average age was 14.3 years (min = 12; max = 16). The average IQ score = 96 (min = 73; max = 115). Finally, the average inattention symptoms score was 79.6 (min = 64; max = 90) and the average hyperactivity score was 87.7 (min = 73; max = 90).
REC name
London - London Bridge Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/2095
Date of REC Opinion
23 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion