Latest Research On New ADHD Treatments

Author:

Robert William Locke

What are the new ADHD treatments, if any? Most parents seem resigned to the fact that psychostimulants combined with some behavioral therapy seems to be the best solution. But this is somewhat clouded by the bad press that the ADHD meds are getting.

Class action lawsuits and financial conflicts of interest

Class action suits have been won against some drug companies. Even more alarming is the fact that there is a conflict of interest in that the drug companies are far too closely involved in the pharmaceutical research and the clinical trials of these medications. This was stated very clearly, quite recently, by a former editor of The New England Journal of Medicine, Marcia Angell. She now teaches medical ethics at the Harvard School of Medicine

Neurofeedback / EEG (electroencephalogram)/Biofeedback

One of the new treatments for ADHD being tried is EEG or biofeedback. How does this work and what are the results? First, electrodes are placed on the skin around the forehead area. The biofeedback training by the therapist present will help the ADHD child through a series of mental activities to maintain the smile on the smiley icon or some similar visual. The actual feedback from the brain shows which brainwaves are being used to keep the smile on the icon. In this way, the brain is being trained to improve concentration, attention and reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Why is neurofeedback not used more in ADHD treatment?

One recent trial published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry did actually show that there was a 25reduction in the ADHD symptoms of the children given this EEG treatment. But the main problem seems to be that there have not been enough trials done to show conclusively that this treatment may actually be adopted as a newer ADHD treatment. Up to now the samples have been too small and also the testers were not blinded as to the status of the children being tested and there was also a lack of appropriate control groups.

Green time activities for ADHD

One of the new ADHD treatments is where children were taken for a 20 minute walk in the open air surrounded by greenery. These children actually showed higher levels of concentration compared to when they were taken for a walk downtown in the shopping malls. This study was done by the University of Illinois but more studies will have to be done and on a larger scale before this is adopted as a newer ADHD treatment. However it makes sense for children to be given more green time for a wide range of healthy reasons.

ADHD behavior therapy and ADHD homeopathic remedies

As I remarked at the beginning of the article, the mainstay of new ADHD treatments and old ones, seems to be a combination of behavior therapy with some medication.

But which medication? As the psychostimulants and the companies that produce them are the subject of more and more controversy, it seems wise to look at alternatives such as ADHD homeopathic remedies. Why not find out what these involve. There are no risks and no side effects either coupled with the fact that they are much cheaper. Why not discover more by clicking on the link below.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/adhd-articles/latest-research-on-new-adhd-treatments-1675760.html

About the Author

Discover what are the new ADHD treatments . Experts now tell us that child behavior problems can be solved with behavior therapy combined with a natural treatment for ADHD . Robert Locke is a Health enthusiast who specializes in Children\'s Health. He has written extensively on ADHD.