The primary aim of the present research project is to examine the feasibility, as measured by treatment perceptions, and tolerability, as measured by adherence and attrition, of two weeks of flashed light therapy alone followed by four weeks of daily flashed light therapy combined with four weekly videoconference-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy sessions targeting circadian rhythms and sleep in four adolescents aged 14 to 17 years with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and delayed sleep-wake schedules.
Participation in this research will last about 7 weeks. Participation will involve an initial screening visit lasting 3 hours to assess eligibility. This visit will involve interviews and tasks to assess for psychiatric diagnosis, sleep history, ADHD severity, and thought patterns. Participants and parents will also complete questionnaires assessing parent-reported and self-reported ADHD severity, personal and family demographics, and medical and psychiatric history. Following this visit, participants will be asked to monitor their sleep for 7 nights using a sleep watch and sleep diary, and provide daily report of bedtimes and risetimes via text message.
After sleep monitoring, an 8-hour baseline assessment visit involving interviews, questionnaires, and saliva sampling will be scheduled from 7 hours before average habitual bedtime up until average bedtime to assess the internal body clock. The morning following the baseline assessment, light therapy will begin and continue daily for two weeks. During the two-week period, participants will monitor sleep nightly using a sleep watch and sleep diary.
Following termination of the two-week course of flashed light therapy, participants will complete an 8-hour mid-treatment assessment involving interviews, questionnaires, and saliva sampling, as described above. Following this assessment, participants will begin weekly 50-minute individual videoconference-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy while continuing to use the flashed light therapy device and monitor sleep (via sleep diary, watch, and sleep location verification) for a duration of four weeks. Following treatment, participants will have a post-treatment 8-hour assessment, again involving interviews, questionnaires, and a salivary assessment of the internal body clock, as described above.
