How the ADHD Protocol Works

A condition focused protocol is a protocol designed to give more in-depth insights on a particular condition for providers.

Please note: The Creyos ADHD Clinical Protocol and Report is not a standalone diagnostic tool. As with other Creyos Health assessments, any conclusions drawn from the Creyos ADHD Clinical Report should be paired with clinical interviews and observations, other mental health examinations or assessments administered, and other evaluations of the patient and/or the patient's family history.

This feature will be live for all clients this Fall.

The new ADHD Condition focused protocol is comprised of three (3) main parts. The first part of the assessment is comprised of four cognitive tasks that are included in the full battery of Creyos Health assessments; Spatial Plan, Token Search, Feature Match and Double Trouble. The second part of the ADHD Condition Focused Protocol is the SART. The SART is a 6 minute interactive task which measures the ability to sustain mindful, conscious processing of information, even in repetitive, boring, or distracting situations. The last part, is a questionnaire that is automatically determined by the system based on the patient's age. 

This new report examines 14 specific “markers” within five Creyos cognitive tasks that have been proven, via published peer-reviewed academic papers, to be associated with ADHD—as opposed to percentile ranks or standard scores on existing reports. This new report then highlights whether the individual is within, or outside, the typical range for each marker.

Part 1 - Creyos Cognitive Tasks

Planning (Spatial Planning): A measure of planning — the ability to act with forethought and prepare a sequence of steps to reach a goal.

Spatial Working Memory (Token Search): Measures working memory — the ability to temporarily hold information in mind and manipulate or update it based on changing circumstances or demands.

Attention (Feature Match): A measure of attention — the ability to focus on relevant details or differences.

Response Inhibition (Double Trouble): Measures response inhibition, the ability to concentrate on relevant information in order to make a correct response despite interference.

More info on each of these tasks can be found in the Task Overview guide.

Part 2 - The SART

The SART is a recognized, highly validated cognitive measure for sustained attention to stimuli whereby participants watch a number between 1 to 9 appear on the screen for a limited number of seconds and are required only to respond (by clicking the mouse pad or space bar) when the number 3 appears. There are two versions of the SART, fixed and random, where the numbers appear on the screen in the order of 1 to 9 or a random sequence, respectively.

Part 3 - Questionnaire  

When administering the ADHD protocol, the system will automatically include the appropriate ADHD questionnaire based on the patient’s age – VADRS for children ages 6 to 12, SWAN for adolescents ages 12 to 17, and ASRS for adults ages 18 and up. Information on each questionnaire can be found below, or on the questionnaire page here.

ASRS: The Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS) is a multipurpose instrument for determinining the severity of ADHD symptoms in adults, while also allowing for the monitoring of symptom changes and effects of treatment over time. The Symptom Checklist consists of 18 DSM-IV-TR criteria. Questions one though six (Part A) of the Symptom Checklist were found to be the most predictive of symptoms consistent with ADHD. Questions seven through eighteen (Part B) are supporting questions that can serve as probes into the patient’s symptoms.

SWAN: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Normal Behavioral Scale (SWAN) was developed to assess ADD/ADHD in patients 18 years of age and under. SWAN scores range from +3 to -3, where far below average is 3, average is 0, and far above average is -3. Items 1-9 focus on the inattentive subtype, and 10-18 on the hyperactive/impulsive subtype. Responses are averaged to obtain sub-scale results.

VADRS: The Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Rating Scale (VADRS) is a psychological assessment tool for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. The assessment is for children aged 6 to 12.