The Effects of Neurofeedback, Yoga Interventions on Memory and Cognitive Activity in Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background. Neuro-feedback (NFB) and physical activities are considered alternative treatments for children with ADHD that aims to optimize brain activity. Assessments of the behavioral efficacy of NF and physical interventions have produced inconsistent results. Like physical activity, yoga has been argued to be beneficial for improvement of neurological and physiological activity and behavior in a range of populations. Objectives. The present randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluates effects of NFB and yoga exercise intervention on sustained attention in children with ADHD. Methods. Using a multicenter three-way parallel group RCT design, children with ADHD, aged 7-11, were randomly assigned to NFB (n = 7), yoga (n = 7) or control (n = 7) over a period of 8 weeks. NFB training consisted of 24 sessions of theta/beta training at Cz and Yoga exercise training composed of 24 sessions of 45 minutes over 8 weeks. Sustained attention and memory were assessed using parameters derived from the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Results. Significant improvements in sustain attention and memory were observed over time in both Yoga and NFB compare to control group. To our knowledge, this is the first study that simultaneously evaluates NFB with Yoga treatment. Conclusion. These findings suggest that alternative therapies such as yoga exercises and NFB can be complementary to behavioral interventions for children with attention problem. Hence, the findings do not support NFB and yoga training applied as a stand-alone treatment in children with ADHD.

The effect of physical activity interventions on executive functions in children with ADHD: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Overall, 75 ES were extracted from the included studies with 18 ES reporting on relevant outcomes and therefore included in the meta-analyses according to outcomes (Cumming, Attention for Children -Score Test). Five scales of measures in four studies were inverted (Benzing & Schmidt, 2019;Pan et al, 2019;Rezaei, Salarpor Kamarzard, & Najafian Razavi, 2019;Verret et al, 2012). The sample size of the control group was halved for the study comparing two PA groups to a control condition (Ziereis & Jansen, 2015).…”

“…Inhibition. Nine studies included outcomes measuring inhibition (Benzing & Schmidt, 2019;Chang, Hung, Huang, Hatfield, & Hung, 2014;Kadri, Slimani, Bragazzi, Tod, & Azaiez, 2019;Lee, Song, & Park, 2017;Memarmoghaddam et al, 2016;Pan et al, 2016Pan et al, , 2019Rezaei et al, 2019;Verret et al, 2012). The overall effect of chronic PA intervention for these 9 studies showed a medium effect size favouring the intervention (SMD = -0.57; 95%-CI [-1.19; 0.06]; p = 0.08) that was not significant.…”

Effects of Neurofeedback in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review

“…All included studies were randomized controlled trials [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. The total sample was 620 children.…”

“…The main characteristics of all the included studies are listed in Table 1. All included studies were randomized controlled trials [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34]. The total sample was 620 children.…”

“…Some papers compared the effects of NF with a physical activity intervention [27,33]. Combining both methods, NF plus physical activity, improved attention and short/longterm memory, although NF seem to lead to better and broader progress [33]. Other authors did not find significant benefits [27].…”