The IAA One Minute Blog

A new type of brain stimulation technology may help ease the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children, according to a new study.

Brain Stimulation and ADHD

The new technology called transcranial random noise stimulation (tRNS) involves placing two electrodes on the brain where they emit a mild, painless electrical current.

The study included 23 kids ages six to 12 with ADHD who were not taking medication to control their symptoms. Half of the children underwent brain stimulation for 10 days while playing cognitive video games. The other half received “sham” stimulation while playing video games.

Fifty-five percent of children who received active brain stimulation showed improvements in ADHD symptoms based on a standard scale and as reported by their parents. By contrast, only 17 percent of kids in the sham group showed such improvement, the study found.

These improvements were maintained three weeks after treatment ended. Furthermore, changes in the children’s brain electrical activity patterns continued even after three weeks, the researchers reported.

The study was published in the journal “Translational Psychiatry.”

Signs of ADHD

ADHD affects about 3.3 million children, according to the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).

Kids with ADHD can show signs in any or all these areas:

• Hyperactive: Kids who are hyperactive are fidgety, restless and easily bored.
• Impulsive: Kids who are impulsive act too quickly before thinking.
• Inattentive: Kids who are inattentive have trouble focusing their attention, concentrating and staying on task.

It is normal for young children to be restless, distracted, impatient, or impulsive. These things don’t always mean a child has ADHD. When these things continue and begin to cause problems at school, home and with friends, it may be ADHD.

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