Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a significant risk factor for the development of substance use disorders (SUD) in adolescence and adulthood, and ADHD complicates the course and treatment of SUD. Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) have been considered by many the most reliable means of differentiating between those with and without ADHD, however, existing CPTs have tended to yield high rates of false positives and false negatives. The MOXO ADHD Test is a new generation of CPT shown to be more effective than traditional CPTs (TOVA or Conners' CPT) in differentiating between children with and without ADHD. This study will test in a population of people referred for treatment for SUD, the ability of the MOXO ADHD Test to:

1. Compare levels of attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity between patients having SUD only, patients having SUD and comorbid adult ADHD, and a control group from the general population (no ADHD or SUD), in order to develop specific population norms for the psychometric properties of the MOXO;
2. Differentiate between SUD patients with and without adult ADHD;
3. Evaluate how attention levels in those with ADHD compare to attention levels in those with other disorders, such as ASPD, bipolar disorder, borderline PD and depression.

Project Collaborators External

• Adva (Peled) Levie Neurotech Solutions Ltd, Israel
• Nir Yacin Neurotech Solutions Ltd, Israel
• Itai Berger Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Israel
• Wim van den Brink Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Zsolt Demetrovics Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
• Csaba Barta Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Hungary
• Brian Johnson Dept of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, USA
• Geurt van de Glind Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Trimbos-instituut and ICASA Foundation, The Netherlands.

Project Supporters

Neurotech Ltd (Israel); ICASA Foundation (The Netherlands)

To test in a population of patients referred for treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUD) the ability of the MOXO ADHD Test to:

1. Compare levels of attention, hyperactivity and impulsivity between patients having SUD only, patients having SUD and comorbid adult ADHD, and a control group from the general population (no ADHD or SUD), in order to develop specific population norms for the psychometric properties of the MOXO;
2. Differentiate between SUD patients with and without adult ADHD;
3. Evaluate how attention levels in those with ADHD compare to attention levels in those with other disorders, such as ASPD, bipolar disorder, borderline PD and depression.

Design and Method

Adults seeking treatment for SUD will be recruited through inpatient & outpatient treatment services and will be administered a structured interview assessing childhood and adult ADHD and other psychiatric disorders. Performance on the MOXO ADHD Test will be compared with that of a control group recruited from the general population.

Progress/Update

447 participants have been recruited (267 SUD patients; 180 controls). Data analysis is currently underway.

The preliminary findings of this study were presented at the III International Congress on Dual Disorders: Addictions and other Mental Disordersin Barcelona (23-26 October 2013), and at the 4^th Congress of the UK Adult ADHD Network (UKAAN): ADHD – Mind, Brain and Body in London (10-12 September 2014).

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