[Effect of combination of acupuncture and psychological intervention on attention, response inhibition and cerebral blood flow in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

OBJECTIVE

To observe the clinical curative effect on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and explore the relevant mechanism of acupuncture in treatment.

METHODS

A total of 100 ADHD children were randomized into an observation group (50 cases, 2 cases dropped off) and a control group (50 cases, 1 case dropped off). In the control group, the routine psychological intervention was used. In the observation group, on the base of the treatment as the control group, acupuncture was applied to Taichong (LR 3), Neiguan (PC 6), Shenmen (HT 7), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), etc., once daily, for 3 months. The Cambridge neuropsychological tests automated battery (CANTAB) was adopted to evaluate attention and response inhibition in two groups before and after treatment. Digi-Lite color transcranial Doppler was used to measure cerebral arterial blood velocity. The therapeutic effect was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Regarding evaluation of attention, the mean delay time in the observation group after treatment was shorter than that before treatment and that in the control group separately (<0.05), and rapid visual information processing A' statistics (RVP A') value was higher than that before treatment and that in the control group separately (<0.05). For evaluation of response inhibition, the number of Go signal error, the time of stop signal response and the number of stop Go signal error after treatment were all reduced as compared with those before treatment in the two groups (<0.05). The number of stop signal error was also reduced after treatment as compared with that before treatment in the observation group (<0.05). The number of Go signal error and the number of stop signal error in the observation were lower than those in the control group (<0.05). After treatment, the average flow velocity of bilateral posterior cerebral artery (PCA) was increased than that before treatment in the two groups (<0.05). The average flow velocity of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA-L) and bilateral anterior cerebral artery (ACA) after treatment was increased than that before treatment in the observation group (<0.05), and the average flow velocity of left PCA, MCA-L and bilateral ACA in the observation group was faster than that in the control group (<0.05). The total effective rate was 90.5% (19/21) in the observation group, remarkably higher than 50.0% (11/22) in the control group in children with attention deficit (<0.05). The total effective rate was 83.3% (40/48) in the observation group, also higher than 63.3% (31/49) in the control group (<0.05).

CONCLUSION

Acupuncture combined with psychological intervention may improve attention and response inhibition in ADHD children, which is possibly related to the regulation of cerebral blood flow.