Neuromodulation as a Potential Intervention for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Chan-Mo Yang; Jun Won Kim

doi:10.5765/jkacap.240039

https://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.240039

Neuromodulation as a Potential Intervention for Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2025; 36(1): 2-10

Published online January 1, 2025

Chan-Mo Yang¹ and Jun Won Kim²

¹Department of Psychiatry, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea
²Department of Psychiatry, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence to: Jun Won Kim, Department of Psychiatry, Daegu Catholic University School of Medicine, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu 42472, Korea
Tel: +82-53-650-4054, Fax: +82-53-623-1694, E-mail: f_affection@naver.com

Received October 29, 2024; Revised December 10, 2024; Accepted December 13, 2024.

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract: This review examines the therapeutic potential of neuromodulation methods, including neurofeedback, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), as non-pharmacological interventions for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A comprehensive review of current studies was conducted, focusing on each technique’s mechanism, application, and efficacy in managing ADHD symptoms and cognitive deficits. Studies included human participants with ADHD, evaluating changes in symptom severity and cognitive outcomes. Neurofeedback demonstrated efficacy in symptom reduction, particularly when combined with pharmacotherapy, yielding sustained improvements. tDCS showed moderate efficacy, especially in attention and impulsivity control; however, variability in protocols and pediatric response highlights the need for standardization. TMS exhibited mixed outcomes, with high-frequency TMS targeting the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex indicating potential cognitive benefits, though results were inconsistent across studies. Neuromodulation presents a promising complementary approach for ADHD treatment in children, potentially addressing limitations of pharmacotherapy. Future research should focus on optimizing stimulation parameters, increasing sample sizes, and refining methodologies to establish neuromodulation as part of standard ADHD treatment protocols.; Keywords : Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Neurofeedback; Transcranial direct current stimulation; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Non-pharmacological intervention