Neurofeedback Versus Pharmacological Intervention in the Treatment of Childhood Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): First Spanish Clinical Neuropsychological Study

Abstract

In this study, twenty children diagnosed with ADHD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria (DSM-IV) were randomly assigned to receive NFB training or MPH treatment. The participants were evaluated at the beginning of the study and four months later on measures of behavioral (CPRS/CPRT), executive functions (BRIEF, CPT), attention (TOVA), and electrical activity (qEEG, ERPs). Post-intervention results showed improvements in attention, hyperactivity, executive functioning and in continuous performance measurement (CPT).Improvements noted in the NFB group were greater than that of the MPH group. Results of this study suggest NFB training resulted in greater improvements in executive functioning, behavior, attention, and qEEG compared to MPH treatment. Results indicate that neurofeedback may treatcognitive and behavior functions before these functions worsen or decrease. This study suggests future research to compare the efficacy of each of these treatments in larger populations with a greater heterogeneity in gender is warranted.