BlinkLab and Mental Care Group Join Forces to Revolutionize ADHD Diagnosis

Partnership Details

BlinkLab Limited, an innovative digital healthcare company, has entered into a major research and clinical partnership with Mental Care Group (MCG) in The Netherlands. This collaboration aims to enhance the diagnostic evaluation of ADHD through the use of BlinkLab's smartphone-based AI-powered neurometric tests.

The partnership was formalized following the successful outcomes of a pilot study led by MCG, which validated BlinkLab's technology in a clinical setting. The initial prospective study involved 184 participants and showed that children with ADHD have significantly heightened sensory sensitivity. This can be objectively quantified by measuring the rate and amplitude of sound-evoked eyelid responses using the BlinkLab app.

Clinical and Regulatory Goals

The partnership will accelerate BlinkLab's path to European and US regulatory approval for ADHD diagnosis and clinical adoption. Data collected from the current clinical trial will be used as part of a larger global ADHD study conducted by BlinkLab. The collaboration will also involve scaling up the rollout and validation of the solution to a broader patient group and additional diagnoses.

Technological Innovation

BlinkLab has developed an innovative app that administers neurometric tests using the smartphone's sensors to capture precise data. By analyzing the nuanced behavioral and physiological responses collected via the app, BlinkLab aims to identify ADHD characteristics, potentially offering patients a more rapid, accessible, and objective assessment method.

This collaboration will enable MCG to integrate BlinkLab's technology into their diagnostic processes, enhancing their diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. The partnership exemplifies the potential of mobile health platforms to advance mental health diagnostics worldwide.

Impact on Mental Health Care

ADHD affects 2.1-3.6% of Dutch children, with rising prevalence. Diagnosis typically takes more than 18 months, delaying necessary assistance. Accelerating this timeline could greatly benefit affected children and their families. By identifying sensory processing patterns unique to ADHD, the BlinkLab test outcomes will provide valuable insights into ADHD's sensorimotor gating characteristics.

The MCG-BlinkLab collaboration is a significant step forward in merging technology with clinical assessment, offering a more efficient, objective, and measurable framework for ADHD evaluations. Both BlinkLab and MCG are committed to reducing costs and improving outcomes for patients.

Preliminary Study Results

In a preliminary study conducted by MCG and BlinkLab, testing 184 children aged 6-18, it was found that children with ADHD exhibit significantly heightened sensitivity to specific sounds without impaired filtering ability. This distinction may explain their increased distractibility compared to peers.

The study utilized smartphone-based neurobehavioral testing to investigate differences in sensorimotor gating, specifically the acoustic startle response (ASR) and prepulse inhibition (PPI), between children with ADHD and neurotypical controls. Results indicated that children with ADHD showed significantly higher ASR at various sound intensities, suggesting heightened sound sensitivity.