When only trials are considered that include probably blinded ratings or those that are sham-NF or semi-active controlled or those that employed optimally titration procedures , the findings do not support theta/beta NF as a st and alone treatment for children or adolescents with ADHD .
This review concludes that the present role of NF in treating children diagnosed with ADHD should be considered as complementary in a multimodal treatment approach , individualized to the needs of the child , and may be considered a viable alternative to stimulants for a specific group of patients .
This systematic review aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of neurofeedback ( NF ) compared to stimulant medication in treating children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) .
Self-reported efficacy of neurofeedback treatment in a clinical randomized controlled study of ADHD children and adolescents
Background Many non-pharmacological treatments for children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) have been attempted , but reports indicate that most are ineffective . Although neurofeedback ( NF ) is a treatment approach for children with ADHD that remains promising , a variety of appropriate measures have been used in reporting and evaluating its effect . Objective To report the self-evaluations of NF treatment by children and adolescents with ADHD . Methods R and omized controlled trial in 91 children and adolescents with ADHD , aged less than 18 years ( mean , 11.2 years ) participated in a 30-session program of intensive NF treatment .  Participants were r and omized and allocated by sequentially numbered sealed envelopes into three groups : methylpheni date ( MPH ) as an active control group , and two trial groups NF with MPH , and NF alone .  ADHD core symptoms and school performance were given on a scale of 1 to 10 using a self-reporting question naire , and the changes in these scores after treatment were used as the self-reported evaluation . Basic statistical methods ( descriptive , analyses of variance , exact χ2 test , and paired t-test ) were used to investigate the baseline data . Changes in ADHD core symptoms and treatment effects were investigated using a general linear model for repeated measures . Results Eighty participants completed the treatment study and 73 ( 91 % ) responded sufficiently on the self-reporting question naires . The treatment groups were comparable in age , sex , and cognition as well as in the baseline levels of core ADHD symptoms . All treatments result ed in significant improvements regarding attention and hyperactivity ( P<0.001 ) , and did not differ from each other in effectiveness . However , a significant treatment effect in school performance was observed ( P=0.042 ) , in which only the NF group showed a significant improvement . Conclusion The self-reported improvements in ADHD core symptoms and school performance shortly after treatment indicate NF treatment being promising in comparison with medication , suggesting NF as an alternative treatment for children and adolescents who do not respond to MPH , or who suffer side effects . Further long-term follow-up is needed
When only trials are considered that include probably blinded ratings or those that are sham-NF or semi-active controlled or those that employed optimally titration procedures , the findings do not support theta/beta NF as a st and alone treatment for children or adolescents with ADHD .
This review concludes that the present role of NF in treating children diagnosed with ADHD should be considered as complementary in a multimodal treatment approach , individualized to the needs of the child , and may be considered a viable alternative to stimulants for a specific group of patients .
This systematic review aim ed to evaluate the efficacy of neurofeedback ( NF ) compared to stimulant medication in treating children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) .