Enhancing ADHD Early Screening With a Mobile Serious Game: A Combined Continuous Screening Paradigm

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition that can affect individuals across lifespan and is characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Traditional ADHD diagnostic methods commonly rely on subjective assessments, leading to potential inaccuracies. This study proposes a novel mobile game that utilizes a combined continuous screening paradigm (CCSP), integrating classical psychological measures such as the Continuous Performance, Simon, and Go/No-Go tasks to provide a 4-minute ADHD screening tool for children. The serious game screening design focuses on the two dimensions of sustained attention, and hyperactivity-impulsivity in ADHD and was verified using a test comparing children with ADHD and neurotypical children. The screening model achieved a sensitivity of 0.82. This study provides a methodological framework for leveraging serious games on mobile platforms to facilitate early ADHD screening.