1. Bao M, Feng S, Wang J, Ye J, Wang J, Li W, Jiang K, Yao L. Efficacy and Safety of a Video Game-Like Digital Therapy Intervention for Chinese Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Single-Arm, Open-Label Pre-Post Study. JMIR Serious Games;2026 (Jan 5);14:e76114.

BACKGROUND: The digital therapy of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on a « self-adaptive multitasking training paradigm » has been developed to improve the cognitive functional impairments and attention deficits of children with ADHD. However, the efficacy and safety of such treatment for Chinese patients remain untested. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to preliminarily evaluate the actual intervention effects of a video game-like training software (ADHD-DTx) for children with ADHD aged 6-12 years as the first nationally certified digital therapeutics medical device for ADHD in China. We performed a single-arm, open-label efficacy and safety study. METHODS: This is a single-arm, open-label, pre-post efficacy and safety study. A total of 97 participants were included in the analysis. Participants received digital therapy (ADHD-DTx) and basic behavioral parent training for 4 weeks (25 min/day, ≥5 times/week) without medication. The efficacy outcomes included the Test of Variables of Attention (TOVA), Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Questionnaire, version 4 (SNAP-IV), Weiss Functional Impairment Rating Scale (WFIRS), and Conner’s Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ). Safety-related events were monitored during and after the trial. RESULTS: From day 0 (baseline) to day 28, the population TOVA Attention Performance Index exhibited statistically significant improvement (from mean -4.15, SE of the mean [SEM] 0.32 to mean -1.70, SEM 0.30; t(94)=-8.78; n=95; P<.001); the population total, inattention (AD), hyperactivity/impulsivity (HD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) scores of SNAP-IV all significantly improved (total: from mean 1.33, SEM 0.05 to mean 1.09, SEM 0.05; t(96)=5.32; P<.001; AD: from mean 1.71, SEM 0.06 to mean 1.44, SEM 0.06; t(96)=4.44; P<.001; HD: from mean 1.38, SEM 0.07 to mean 1.05, SEM 0.06; t(96)=5.96; P<.001; ODD: mean 0.84, SEM 0.05 to mean 0.75, SEM 0.05; Z=2.47; P=.03; n=97); for WFIRS results, domains of "family" and "social activities" showed significant population improvement (family: from mean 0.75, SEM 0.05 to mean 0.65, SEM 0.04; Z=2.80; P=.01; social activities: from mean 0.56, SEM 0.05 to mean 0.45, SEM 0.05; Z=2.91; P=.01; n=97); for PSQ results, domains of "learning problem," "psychosomatic problem," "impulsivity-hyperactivity," and "hyperactivity index" showed significant improvement (learning problem: from mean 1.72, SEM 0.06 to mean 1.57, SEM 0.06; Z=2.42; P=.03; psychosomatic problem: from mean 0.40, SEM 0.03 to mean 0.32, SEM 0.03; Z=2.66; P=.02; impulsivity-hyperactivity: from mean 0.94, SEM 0.06 to mean 0.80, SEM 0.06; Z=2.49; P=.03; hyperactivity index: from mean 1.06, SEM 0.05 to mean 0.92, SEM 0.05; Z=2.90; P=.01; n=97). No device-related adverse event or severe adverse event was observed or reported during or after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: This study preliminarily suggested the significant improvements of ADHD symptoms and attention function after 4 weeks of ADHD-DTx digital therapy combining basic behavioral parent training with satisfying safety outcomes.

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2. Dana B, Elkana K, Ariela H, Matitiahu B, Ilia B, Eli H, Inbar H, Mirit L, Danel W, David M, Liron S, Orit S. CBD-Rich Cannabis Therapy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder May Improve Symptoms of Hyperactivity and Attention Deficit: An Open-Label Study. Curr Neuropharmacol;2026 (Jan 5)

INTRODUCTION: Medical cannabis has gained growing attention as a potential treatment for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), particularly in cases where conventional pharmacological approaches have proven ineffective. Emerging evidence suggests that cannabinoid-based therapies may alleviate Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) related symptoms in children with ASD. The objective of this study is to evaluate changes in ADHD symptoms over six months of treatment with a CBD-rich cannabis oil, using the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale as the assessment tool. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-arm, open-label study conducted at a single center. A total of 109 children and young adults diagnosed with ASD and ADHD symptoms were recruited between November 2019 and April 2021. Of these, 53 participants were assessed by their schoolteachers using the Conners’ Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS) questionnaire, both before and after a three- to sixmonth treatment period with a CBD-rich, cannabis oil-based product. Blood samples were collected before and after treatment to measure cannabinoid levels, including CBD, 6-OH-CBD, 7-COOHCBD, and 7-OH-CBD. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in the following categories: anxious-shyness, perfectionism, ADHD index, emotional lability, and hyperactivity-impulsivity (p < 0.001). Additional trends toward improvement were identified in oppositional behavior (p = 0.009), cognitive inattention (p = 0.009), hyperactivity (p = 0.006), the Conners' Global Index (p = 0.007), and DSM-IV inattention scores (p = 0.003). No significant correlations were found between cannabinoid dosage or blood levels and changes in CTRS scores, except for emotional lability, where higher CBD concentrations were predictive of greater symptom improvement. DISCUSSION: This is the first prospective study to evaluate the effects of CBD-rich cannabis on ADHD symptoms in children with ASD using standardized teacher-based Assessments (CTRS). The findings indicate improvements in core behavioral domains. While previous studies have focused primarily on parent-reported outcomes or small-scale trials, our results support emerging evidence on the role of cannabinoids in modulating attention and emotional regulation. The main limitations of the study were its open-label design. CONCLUSION: CBD-rich cannabis oil may reduce ADHD symptoms in children with ASD. These findings support the need for future clinical trials to validate efficacy and determine optimal dosing.

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3. Kawasaki Y, Suzuki Y, Miyazaki K, Suzuki N, Hoshina M, Kato A, Morita H, Go H. A retrospective single-center study on the characteristics of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder requiring early drug therapy from 2013 to 2022 and changes in treatment over time. Fukushima J Med Sci;2026 (Jan 5);72(1):31-40.

To clarify the characteristics of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) requiring early drug therapy and changes in ADHD treatment over time, we undertook a clinical survey of ADHD children. We retrospectively classified 168 children with ADHD into groups based on the presence [Group 1, (the early treatment Group A, non-early treatment Group B)] or absence (Group 2) of ADHD drug therapy. The older age at first examination and the frequency of patients born with low birth weight in Group 1 were higher than those in Group 2. The ADHD-Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) scores for total (ADHD-RS-T) and trouble scores (TS) in Group 1 were higher than those in Group 2. All patients requiring early drug medication were diagnosed with ADHD at age 6 or older and showed significantly higher ADHD-RS hyperactivity disorder (ADHD-RS-H) and TS. Guanfacine was the main drug prescribed, being the first-line drug in 45.0% of cases. These results suggest that characteristics of patients requiring early ADHD drug medication include age 6 years or older at first examination and high ADHD-RS-H, ADHD-RS-T and TS. Furthermore, an increase in the frequency of prescriptions for guanfacine was observed as a prescription trend for ADHD medications.

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4. Kaya S, Kocabaş R, Sağlıyan B, Bayırlı Ö, Yorulmaz AE, Kandeğer A. Association between neuronal pentraxin 2, ADHD symptoms, and executive functioning in adults with ADHD: a case-control study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci;2026 (Jan 5)

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5. Liu D, Wei Z, Maurer U, Chung KKH, Datu JAD, Fern-Pollak L, Wydell T, Tso WW, Sun F, Luo L, Wang LC, Yum YN, Xu G, Li S. Profiling Chinese children with symptoms of SpLD, ADHD, or ASD: a transdiagnostic and biopsychosocial study. BMC Psychiatry;2026 (Jan 5)

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6. López C, Rubilar P, Muñoz MP, Hirmas-Adauy M, Iglesias V. Arsenic Exposure and Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Children: A Cross‑Sectional Study. Ann Glob Health;2025;91(1):90.

Introduction: Arsenic exposure has been identified as a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). In Arica, research has been conducted to relate arsenic exposure to the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, highlighting the need to explore other events, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this study aimed to evaluate the association between current urinary arsenic concentration and the prevalence of NDDs in children from Arica. Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the FONIS project #SA22I0119. The sample consists of 450 children born between 2013 and 2016. The outcome variable, diagnosis of NDDs, was measured through parent self‑reporting. The exposure variable corresponds to the current concentration of urinary inorganic arsenic, corrected by creatinine. A logistic regression model adjusted for confounding variables was used. Results: According to parent self‑report, the prevalence of ADHD was 9.1%, ASD 5.3%, and NDDs 12%. The mean urinary inorganic arsenic concentration was 19.8 μg/g creatinine, and 7.6% of the children had levels ≥35 μg/g creatinine. After adjusting for tutors’ education, number of household members, sex, and indigenous origin, those children with urinary arsenic ≥ 35 μg/g creatinine were more likely to present some NDDs (OR: 2.93; 95% CI 1.11, 7.75). For ADHD, the association was also elevated (OR = 3.85; 95% CI 1.44, 10.29). Conclusion: The findings suggest an association between arsenic exposure and the prevalence of NDDs in children. These results contribute to the evidence of arsenic’s effect on the neurodevelopment of the child population.

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7. Rahmati Y, Jarrold C. Concurrent measurement of working memory and inhibitory control and their correlations with autistic and ADHD traits in the general population. PLoS One;2026;21(1):e0339846.

Executive function can be defined as the combination of goal representation in working memory and the inhibition of goal-irrelevant responses. This paper comprises two complementary studies that assess these core components of executive function orthogonally and examine their correlation with ASD and ADHD traits in the general population. Both studies utilized a paradigm with two tasks, each assessing working memory and one type of inhibitory control concurrently: the modified flanker task, which measured working memory and interference control, and the modified spatial conflict task, which measured working memory and response inhibition. The aim was to explore the main effects of memory and inhibitory load in each task, investigate potential over-additive interactions between executive function components, and examine the correlations between autistic and ADHD traits and task performance. Each study involved 100 neurotypical adult participants. In Study 1, results showed that reaction time in the flanker task was significantly influenced by demands on both working memory and inhibitory control, whereas in the spatial conflict task only the inhibitory manipulation produced the expected effect. Study 2 introduced modifications that revealed effects on reaction time in the spatial conflict task due to both memory and congruency load. The flanker task demonstrated memory effects in reaction time, but congruency effects were only evident under low memory conditions. No interactions between executive function components in an over-additive way were observed in either Study 1 or Study 2. Bayesian linear regression and correlation analyses found evidence against any meaningful correlations between the size of the congruency or memory effect, computed for any dependent variable and ASC or ADHD traits in both studies.

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8. Stiernborg M, Yang LL, Skott E, Giacobini M, Melas PA, Debelius JW, Lavebratt C. Altered gut microbiome function in ADHD: More Prevotella, less vitamin B12 biosynthesis, and beneficial modulation by synbiotic treatment. Brain Behav Immun;2026 (Jan 5);133:106259.

The effect of psychostimulant medication in ADHD on the gut microbiome remains unknown. Oral Synbiotic 2000, comprising multiple lactic acid bacteria and dietary fibers, reduces psychiatric symptoms and plasma immune markers in ADHD, but its impact on the gut microbiome is unexplored. This study aimed to (i) study the fecal bacterial microbiome, focusing on species and bacterial gene modules, in ADHD patients and neurotypical controls, and (ii) examine microbiome changes attributable to Synbiotic 2000. Fecal samples were collected from 147 participants at baseline, and 106 completers at follow-up from a randomized placebo-controlled trial of Synbiotic 2000 conducted in children and adults with ADHD. At baseline, adult samples were compared to those of 52 adult controls, and patients on psychostimulants were compared to those not on psychostimulants in adults and children separately. The fecal microbiome was sequenced using shallow shotgun sequencing and analyzed for diversity and differential abundance using machine learning. Plasma short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and serum vitamin B12 levels were measured. At baseline, adult ADHD patients had significantly different abundances of four species compared to controls. In children, those on psychostimulants exhibited a higher abundance of species from the genus Prevotella, alongside a lower abundance of the vitamin B12-synthesis module, M00122, than those not on such medication. The lower M00122 abundance was associated with a looser stool consistency, implicating a shorter colonic transit time. Synbiotic 2000 did not affect taxonomic or functional α-diversity in adults or children. However, looser baseline stool consistency was linked to greater increases in evenness in the Synbiotic group over time. There was a significant Synbiotic-specific effect on taxonomic and functional β-diversity, not only the increased abundance of the Synbiotic 2000 species. Plasma levels of formic acid and propionic acid increased towards control levels in the Synbiotic group. In conclusion, distinct species were differently abundant in adults with ADHD compared to controls. The implications of the lower abundance of the vitamin B12-synthesis module, in children on psychostimulant medication, for the gut ecosystem and host intestine remain to be elucidated. Synbiotic 2000 influenced the taxonomy and functionality of the fecal microbiome and increased plasma SCFA levels towards normal. Further research is warranted to explore the clinical implications of microbiome modulation in the treatment of ADHD.

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