The Effectiveness of Neurofeedback and " Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation" on the Executive Function of Response Inhibition of Boys 6 to 11 years with Attention Deficit- Hyperactivity Disorder

Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects social, emotional, and familial functioning. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of "Neurofeedback" and "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation" on the Executive Function of Response Inhibition of Boys 6 to 11 years with Attention Deficit- Hyperactivity Disorder.

 The present study is a quasi-experimental with pre-test and post-test and control group. The statistical population included all students aged 6 to 11 in Islamshahr boys' primary and preschool levels in the 96-97 academic year. The research sample was 34 people who were identified by the convenience sampling method among Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder and by simple random sampling (simple lottery) were divided into two intervention groups and a control group (12 people in each group). However, one person from each intervention group withdrew. Research instruments  include the “SNAP-IV Scale”, the “Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales (Fifth Edition)”, the “Conner's Parent Rating Scale”, and  “Go/No Go Test”. The validity and reliability have been measured in previous studies.Interventions included neuro feedback 20 sessions of 30 minutes (Three days a week) and tDCS included 10 sessions of 10 minutes with intensity of 1 Ma (two days a week). Data were analyzed with SPSS. 23.

Average response inhibition scores were improved in two measurements, with the largest change in the neurofeedback group being controlled on accuracy scores (12.04). Also, by eliminating the pre-test effect, it was determined that "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation” had a significant difference in accuracy and speed of execution and” neurofeedback” in the implementation speed score compared to the control group (p˂ 0.001).

Due to the number of sessions and the type of waves corrected, "neurofeedback" is not effective in improving inhibitory response. But "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation" is an effective method. Therefore, it is suggested that the "Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation” be used to solve the above problem."