Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the commonest psychiatric disorders in children. Stimulants are frequently used in the management of ADHD. Due to adverse effects of medication there is a growing interest in complementary treatments. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies including yoga are commonly used in children with ADHD, but little is known about the efficacy of these therapies. Yoga requires long periods of concentration and is therefore supposed to reduce attention deficits. The published investigations without a control group report positive effects of yoga on ADHD symptoms and school performance. However, these studies do not allow causal conclusions in regard to the effects of yoga in the treatment of ADHD. The findings from exploratory randomized controlled studies suggest that future research on the efficacy of yoga in ADHD may yield results of therapeutic value. At present the small number of available investigations renders impossible the drawing of any conclusions regarding the effectiveness of yoga for ADHD in children. Large, well-controlled, randomized trials are needed in order to establish the potential value of yoga as a single treatment or adjunct to standard ADHD therapies.
Highlights
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders and affects approximately 6 to 7 % of children and adolescents; ADHD occurs about four times more commonly in boys than girls [1,2,3]
Complementary and Alternative Medical (CAM) therapies including yoga are commonly used in children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but little is known about the efficacy of these therapies
Significant improvements from pre-test to post-test were found for the yoga, but not for the control group on five subscales of the Conners’ Parents Rating Scales (CPRS), i.e. Oppositional, Global Index Emotional Lability, Global Index Total, Global Index Restless/Impulsive and ADHD Index [23]
Summary
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorders and affects approximately 6 to 7 % of children and adolescents; ADHD occurs about four times more commonly in boys than girls [1,2,3]. The characteristic features of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are excessive motor activity, inattention, and impulsiveness. Specific neurobiological correlates of ADHD or biomarkers have not been identified and multiple factors including genetics and environment appear to interact and cause neurobiological liability [4,5]. First-line treatment options for ADHD include pharmacotherapy, behavioral therapy or both. Methylphenidate, amphetamine salts and slow-release stimulants are the drugs of choice for ADHD treatment [10,11]. Atomoxetine is a non-stimulant drug for ADHD but it is less efficacious than stimulants. Despite the efficacy of medication, many parents seek effective alternative treatments to stimulant drugs for their children due to concerns about the administration of controlled substances or possible adverse effects of medication
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