| Stimulent vs. Neurofeedback Study |
| "The Effects of Stimulant Therapy, EEG Biofeedback & Parenting Style on the primary symptoms of ADHD" (Monastra et. al) - was presented at the 2000 meeting of the American Psychological Association. This study provides strong evidence that attention training via neurofeedback can make a significant contribution in the treatment of ADHD. Participants were 100 children and adolescents with ADHD who received treatment over the course of 12 months. For half the participants, treatment included stimulant medication, behavioral parent training, and school consultation. For the other half, neurofeedback was included as an additional treatment. Although both groups showed significant improvement on computerized tests of attention and impulsivity one year later, only those whose treatment included neurofeedback continued to show normalized results when tested after discontinuing medication. In addition, significant reductions in parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms - and normalized QEEG indicators of attention functioning - were only evident for the group receiving neurofeedback. These gains also persisted after medication had been discontinued. Although replication of these results in an independent sample will be important to pursue, this study provides strong evidence that neurofeedback training can play an important role in the treatment of ADHD, and makes a significant contribution to existing research on the efficacy of neurofeedback. |
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