The story and the science behind Cadence
Not a startup chasing a trend. A tool built by someone who studies ADHD academically and lives alongside it every day.
Who built this
I'm Mohamed Shembesh, a final-year medical student. I built Cadence for the people I love who have ADHD, the ones who spent their whole lives being told to "just try harder."
When a close friend was diagnosed, he didn't feel relieved. He felt different. Misunderstood. That stuck with me. So much of the struggle isn't intelligence or effort. It's tools built for a brain that isn't yours. Cadence is the tool I wished they'd had.
I didn't just build it. I studied it
My Master's thesis is on ADHD
As part of my medical degree at the University of Debrecen, I wrote a systematic review: “Comparative Effects of Stimulants and Atomoxetine on Emotional & Functional Outcomes in ADHD.” Its core argument: treatment success should be measured by real-world functioning and emotional wellbeing, not just a symptom checklist.
That belief, that ADHD support has to meet people where they actually struggle, is the foundation Cadence is built on.
Read the thesisWhat clinicians say
Cadence was reviewed by a professor of psychiatry and a registered psychotherapist who works with ADHD clients.
“Brilliant.”
“The flow by which the website guides you through any material you upload can actually help an individual with ADHD to follow through with their studies instead of feeling stuck or procrastinating, which is unfortunately a usual experience for many of these patients.”
Built on the evidence
Every feature in Cadence traces back to peer-reviewed research: 115 studies on how the ADHD brain pays attention, remembers, and stays motivated. We also keep a free, hand-picked library of resources from licensed experts.
Two studies anchor the approach. In a 122-child multicenter randomized controlled trial, an adaptive digital therapeutic produced a statistically significant reduction in clinician-rated ADHD symptoms versus a sham control (−7.50 vs. −4.00, p=0.009) — Kim, B.N. et al. (2026), “Efficacy of an Adaptive Multitasking Digital Therapeutic for ADHD in Children: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial,” NPJ Digital Medicine. And an expert synthesis from Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt, UT Austin, and the University of Houston confirms executive function — working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility — as the shared mechanism underlying ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia — Horowitz-Kraus, T., Cutting, L., Wilkey, E., Barnes, M., Church, J.A., Cirino, P. (2026), “Executive Function and Learning Disabilities: A Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Review,” Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.
Cadence is a learning tool, not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for treatment. If you think you may have ADHD, talk to a qualified professional.