Abstract
Objective
To assess the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment option for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Methods
The literatures were searched using 15 databases, including MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, six Korean medical databases and two Chinese databases without language restritions. Prospective controlled clinical studies of any type of acupuncture therapy for ADHD autistic patients were included. Trials in which acupuncture was part of a complex intervention were also included. All articles were read by two independent reviewers, who extracted data from the articles according to predefined criteria. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.
Results
Of 114 articles, only three randomized clinical trials (RCTs) met our inclusion criteria. One RCT found that electroacupuncture (EA) plus behavioural treatment was superior to sham EA plus behavioural treatment. Two RCTs reported a significant benefit of acupuncture or auricular acupuncture over conventional drug therapies.
Conclusions
Limited evidence exists for the effectiveness of acupuncture as a symptomatic treatment of ADHD. Given that the risk of bias of the included studies was high, firm conclusions cannot be drawn.
References
Biederman J, Faraone SV. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Lancet 2005;366:237–248.
Keen D, Hadijikoumi I. ADHD in children and adolescents. Clin Evid (Online) 2008;2008. pii: 0312.
Chan E, Rappaport LA, Kemper KJ. Complementary and alternative therapies in childhood attention and hyperactivity problems. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2003;24:4–8.
Sinha D, Efron D. Complementary and alternative medicine use in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Paediatr Child Health 2005;41:23–26.
Stubberfield T, Parry T. Utilization of alternative therapies in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Paediatr Child Health 1999;35:450–453.
Weber W, Newmark S. Complementary and alternative medical therapies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. Pediatr Clin North Am 2007;54:983–1006; xii.
Mantle F, ed. Complementary and alternative medicine for child and adolescent care. Philadelphia: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2004: 3–32.
Ernst E. Acupuncture—a critical analysis. J Intern Med 2006;259:125–137.
Chai TQ. Observation on therapeutic effects of 155 cases of child attentional deficit hyperactivity disorder treated with acupuncture and moxibustion. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 1999;19:5–7.
Li S, Yu B, Zhou D, He C, Kang L, Wang X et al. Acupuncture for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adolescent. Cochrane DB Syst Rev 2009:CD007839.
Higgins JPT, Altman DG. Assessing risk of bias in included studies. In: Higgins JPT, Green S, eds. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. West Sussex, England: Wiley-Blackwell; 2008:187–241.
Li SS, Yu B, Yan B, Kang L, Jiang SH, Li W, et al. Randomized-controlled study of treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder of preschool children with combined electro-acupuncture and behavior therapy. Chin Archi Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2009;27:1215–1218.
Liu M. Clinical observation of auricular pressing therapy for 40 patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Zhejiang J Tradit Chin Med (Chin) 2007;42:533.
Xu XB, Liu HJ, Peng JH. Comparative observation on acupuncture and Western medicine for treatment of minimal brain dysfunction. Chin Acupunct Moxibust (Chin) 2007;27:904–906.
Day SJ, Altman DG. Statistics notes: blinding in clinical trials and other studies. BMJ 2000;321:504.
Schulz KF, Chalmers I, Hayes RJ, Altman DG. Empirical evidence of bias. Dimensions of methodological quality associated with estimates of treatment effects in controlled trials. JAMA 1995;273:408–412.
Moore A, Edwards J, Barden J, McQuay H. Bandolier’s little book of pain. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2003: 42–54.
Deeks JJ, Higgins PT, Altaman DG. Analysis data and underaking meta-analysis. In: Higgins JPT, Green S, eds. Cochrane handbook for systematic reviews of interventions. West Sussex, England: Wiley-Blackwell; 2008:243–296.
Rothstein HR, Sutton AJ, Borenstein M. Publication bias in meta-analysis. In: Rothstein HR, Sutton AJ, Borenstein M, eds. Publication bias in meta-analysis. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley; 2005:1–7.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, M.S., Choi, TY., Kim, JI. et al. Acupuncture for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 17, 257–260 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0701-7
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-011-0701-7