August 8, 2023—Transcranial random noise stimulation [a mild electrical current on the brain sent through two electrodes attached to the scalp] (tRNS) combined with cognitive training, could significantly improve attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children, according to new research conducted by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) and the University of Surrey. 

ADHD is a brain condition that affects attention, activity, and impulsivity. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 5% of children worldwide have ADHD, which typically involves struggling with focus, memory, and self-control. In the U.S., approximately 10.2% of children have been diagnosed with ADHD, according to a 2019 JAMA Pediatrics study.  

In the study published by Translational Psychiatry, a small clinical trial was conducted involving unmedicated children aged 6-12 diagnosed with ADHD, to determine whether tRNS during cognitive training can improve ADHD symptoms.  After a two-week program of brain stimulation, the study found that 55% of children showed significant clinical improvements in ADHD symptoms, as reported by their parents. This was compared to 17% percent in the control group, who also showed improvement after receiving placebo brain stimulation during cognitive training.  

The study also found that participants maintained these improvements three weeks after the end of the treatment, with nearly two-thirds (64%) reporting clinically meaningful responses to the treatments compared to 33% in the control group.    

“This is an important first step in offering new therapeutic options for ADHD,” says Dr. Mor Nahum, co-lead of the study and Head of the Computerized Neurotherapy Lab at Hebrew University, where the study took place. “Future studies, with larger and more varied samples, should help establish this as a viable therapy for ADHD, and help us understand the underlying disorder mechanisms.” 

 “Treating ADHD with medication improves a child’s attention span and overall mood; however, in certain cases there can be side effects including headache and a loss of appetite,” says Ornella Dakwar-Kawar, a Hebrew University post-doctoral researcher. “There is, therefore, a pressing need for developing and testing novel, non-pharmacological, interventions for ADHD. Results from the current proof-of-concept study provide a preliminary direction toward a novel intervention in pediatric ADHD.” 

This research was funded by a grant from the Israel Innovation Authority to Innosphere Engineering Ltd. which makes the wearable tRNS medical device.