Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Aug;63(8):778-788. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.12.014. Epub 2024 Feb 28.
Public interest in the potential benefits of white, pink, and brown noise for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has recently mushroomed. White noise contains all frequencies of noise and sounds like static; pink or brown noise has more power in the lower frequencies and may sound, respectively, like rain or a waterfall. This meta-analysis evaluated effects on laboratory tasks in individuals with ADHD or elevated ADHD symptoms.
Eligible studies reported on participants with diagnosis of ADHD or elevated symptoms of ADHD who were assessed in a randomized trial using laboratory tasks intended to measure aspects of attention or academic work involving attention or executive function while exposed to white, pink, and brown noise and compared with a low/no noise condition. Two authors independently reviewed and screened studies for eligibility. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted with preplanned moderator analyses of age, diagnostic status, and task type. Publication bias was evaluated. The GRADE tool was used to assess certainty of the evidence. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate robustness.
Studies of children and college-age young adults with ADHD or ADHD symptoms (k = 13, N = 335) yielded a small but statistically significant benefit of white and pink noise on task performance (g = 0.249, 95% CI [0.135, 0.363], p < .0001). No studies of brown noise were identified. Heterogeneity was minimal, and moderators were nonsignificant; results survived sensitivity tests, and no publication bias was identified. In non-ADHD comparison groups (k = 11, N = 335), white and pink noise had a negative effect (g = -0.212, 95% CI [-0.355, -0.069], p = .0036).
White and pink noise provide a small benefit on laboratory attention tasks for individuals with ADHD or high ADHD symptoms, but not for non-ADHD individuals. This article addresses theoretical implications, cautions, risks, and limitations.
Public interest in the potential benefits of white, pink, and brown noise exposure for enhancing task performance for individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased substantially. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 13 studies with 335 participants and found that white/pink noise improved cognitive performance for children and young adults with ADHD or significant ADHD symptoms. In contrast, white/pink noise impaired cognitive performance for individuals without ADHD. Positive effects of noise were small, but these results point to a possible low-cost, low-risk intervention that may benefit youth with ADHD. Additional studies are needed to confirm effects and identify safe and appropriate decibel levels. The potential detrimental effects for individuals without ADHD also requires further study.
White Noise for ADHD: A Systematic Review And Meta-analysis; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero; CRD42023393992.
公众对白色、粉色和棕色噪声对注意力缺陷/多动障碍（ADHD）潜在益处的兴趣最近迅速增长。白噪声包含所有频率的噪声，听起来像静电；粉色或棕色噪声在低频段的功率更大，听起来分别像雨或瀑布声。本荟萃分析评估了这些噪声对 ADHD 或 ADHD 症状升高的个体进行实验室任务的影响。
合格的研究报告了诊断为 ADHD 或 ADHD 症状升高的参与者，他们在一项随机试验中接受评估，该试验使用实验室任务来衡量注意力或涉及注意力或执行功能的学业工作的各个方面，同时暴露于白噪声、粉噪声和棕噪声下，并与低/无噪声条件进行比较。两位作者独立审查和筛选研究的资格。进行了随机效应荟萃分析，并对年龄、诊断状态和任务类型进行了预先计划的调节因素分析。评估了发表偏倚。使用 GRADE 工具评估证据的确定性。进行敏感性分析以评估稳健性。
对 ADHD 或 ADHD 症状的儿童和大学生（k=13，N=335）进行的研究表明，白噪声和粉噪声对任务表现有很小但具有统计学意义的益处（g=0.249，95%CI [0.135, 0.363]，p<.0001）。未发现棕噪声的研究。异质性极小，调节剂无显著性；结果通过敏感性测试，未发现发表偏倚。在非 ADHD 对照组中（k=11，N=335），白噪声和粉噪声有负面影响（g=-0.212，95%CI[-0.355，-0.069]，p=0.0036）。
白噪声和粉噪声为 ADHD 或高 ADHD 症状个体的实验室注意力任务提供了很小的益处，但对非 ADHD 个体没有益处。本文讨论了理论意义、警告、风险和局限性。
