Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial for the Evaluation of a Novel Adaptive Attention Training in Healthy Adolescents

Aspects of cognitive control, such as attention and working memory, are critical for successful goal-directed behavior. Importantly, variability in cognitive control abilities can influence real-world functioning, such as scholastic success in children and adolescents. The primary goal of this project is to examine the outcomes of a novel, adaptive attention training that primarily targets aspects of sustained attention and secondarily targets delayed gratification in adolescents. As such, the investigators will validate the feasibility and efficacy of this novel training in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study. Specifically, healthy adolescents (age 12-16 years old) will be recruited for a longitudinal experiment in which they are randomly assigned to the adaptive attention training group ('Engage') or one of two expectancy-matched control groups. Depending on the assigned group, participants will complete 1 hour (low-dose control group) or 15 hours ('Engage' and active control groups) of training as well as pre-, post- and follow-up assessments of cognitive, neural, and behavioral measures. We hypothesize that completion of 'Engage' training will result in enhancement of fronto-parietal control functions that underlie sustained attention and suppression of ventral-striatal reward impulses, ultimately improving these abilities in a healthy adolescent population.