ADHD: Noninvasive Brain Stimulation Reduces Symptoms

According to new research led by the University of Surrey and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, non-invasive brain stimulation combined with cognitive training could considerably reduce symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in youngsters.

Researchers set out to see if a novel method of brain stimulation that utilizes a moderate electrical current on the brain through two electrodes during cognitive training might help the symptoms of ADHD in a clinical trial including 23 unmedicated youngsters (six to 12 years old).

The study discovered that after a two-week program of brain stimulation, 55% of children demonstrated significant clinical improvements in ADHD symptoms, as reported by their parents. During cognitive training, this was compared to 17% in the control group, which received sham (placebo) brain stimulation.

The study also discovered that these gains were sustained three weeks after treatment ended, with 64% reporting clinically relevant responses to the therapy. In comparison, 33% in the control group. Translational Psychiatry published the findings.

Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, co-lead of the study, head of the School of Psychology and professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Surrey, said, “I believe that the scientific community is duty-bound to investigate and develop evermore effective and longer-lasting treatments for ADHD. The findings we demonstrate in our study suggest that a combination of transcranial direct current stimulation (tRNS), which is shown to be safe with minimal side effects, has the potential to transform the lives of children and their families.

“The results from this proof-of-concept study, together with previous results we received using tRNS, increase our confidence that in the future non-invasive brain stimulation may be able to provide an alternative to medication as a treatment pathway for children. However, our important test will be the results from a multi-center clinical trial with a larger sample that we will start soon. If successful, this approach will be approved as a medical device for ADHD by the United States Food and Drug Administration.”

ADHD is a neurological disorder that impairs people’s attention, activity, and impulsiveness. Around 5.2% of children worldwide suffer with the illness, which typically appears as difficulties with focus, memory, and self-control.

The research team also found alterations in the children’s brain electrical activity patterns after the treatment, which lasted even after the three-week follow-up.

Dr. Mor Nahum, co-lead of the study and Head of the Computerized Neurotherapy Lab at the Hebrew University where the study took place says, “This is an important first step in offering new therapeutic options for ADHD. Future studies, with larger and more varied samples, should help establish this as a viable therapy for ADHD, and help us understand the underlying mechanisms of the disorder.”

Professor Itai Berger, co-lead of the study, previously head of pediatric neurology at Hadassah, currently at Assuta-Ashdod University Medical Center, who recruited the study participants, says, “If the results will be replicated in future larger studies we will be able to offer a novel, promising non-invasive, and safe treatment to large number of children and their families not only in the field of ADHD but in other neuro-developmental disorders.”

Ornella Dakwar-Kawar, a post-doctoral researcher at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says “ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting children across the world. Treating the condition with medication improves a child’s attention span and overall mood, however in certain cases there can be side effects including headache and a loss of appetite.”

“There is therefore a pressing need for developing and testing novel, non-pharmacological interventions for ADHD. Results from the current proof-of-concept study provide a preliminary direction towards a novel intervention in pediatric ADHD.”

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