title: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children and Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Pilot Study.
abstract: Studies investigating the possible benefits of transcranial direct current stimulation on left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have not been performed. This study assesses the effect of transcranial direct current stimulation in children and adolescents with ADHD on neuropsychological tests of visual attention, visual and verbal working memory, and inhibitory control. An auto-matched clinical trial was performed involving transcranial direct current stimulation in children and adolescents with ADHD, using SNAP-IV and subtests Vocabulary and Cubes of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III (WISC-III). Subjects were assessed before and after transcranial direct current stimulation sessions with the Digit Span subtest of the WISC-III, inhibitory control subtest of the NEPSY-II, Corsi cubes, and the Visual Attention Test (TAVIS-3). There were 9 individuals with ADHD according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria. There was statistically significant difference in some aspects of TAVIS-3 tests and the inhibitory control subtest of NEPSY-II. Transcranial direct current stimulation can be related to a more efficient processing speed, improved detection of stimuli, and improved ability to switch between an ongoing activity and a new one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil igordbandeira@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Igor Dórea
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Bandeira
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rachel Silvany Quadros
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Gabriel
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Jagersbacher
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago Lima
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Barretto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jéssica Regina
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: de Jesus-Silva
authors.affiliation: Professor Edgard Santos University Teaching Hospital, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Samantha Nunes
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nayara
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Argollo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Medical School of Bahia, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lucena
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology
keywords: attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; neuromodulation; noninvasive brain stimulation; transcranial direct current stimulation