The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Review: Meditation to treat ADHD

    Researchers at KhonKaen University, in KhonKaen, Thailand reviewed the evidence for this Cochrane report on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

    First, the details.

    • 4 studies, including 83 participants, were included.
      • 2 studies used mantra meditation while the other 2 used yoga.
      • Comparisons were made to drugs, relaxation training, non-specific exercises, and standard treatment control.
    • Design limitations in the studies caused a high risk of bias.

    And, the results.

    • Only 1 study provided data appropriate for analysis, and reported no statistically significant difference between meditation and drug therapy on the teacher rating ADHD scale.
    • Likewise, there were no significant differences between meditation therapy and standard therapy in the distraction test or teacher rating ADHD scale.
    • Adverse effects of meditation have not been reported.

    The bottom line?

    There’s no shortage of websites that anecdotally report the benefits of meditation to treat ADHD.

    However, based on a limited number of studies that are compromised by a high risk of bias and conducted in a small number or patients, these authors concluded, “More trials are needed” before meditation is considered an evidence-based option for treating ADHD.

    6/18/10 19:16 JR

    Leave a Comment

    You must be logged in to post a comment.