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. 2022 May 3:13:827411.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2022.827411. eCollection 2022.

Phytotherapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Tusheema Dutta  1 , Uttpal Anand  2 , Shreya Sikdar Mitra  1 , Mimosa Ghorai  1 , Niraj Kumar Jha  3 , Nusratbanu K Shaikh  4 , Mahipal S Shekhawat  5 , Devendra Kumar Pandey  6 , Jarosław Proćków  7 , Abhijit Dey  1
Affiliations

Phytotherapy for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Tusheema Dutta et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is commonly a neurodevelopmental behavioural disorder in children and adolescents. Mainly characterized by symptoms like lack of attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness, it can impact the overall mental development of the one affected. Several factors, both genetic and non-genetic, can be responsible for this disorder. Although several traditional treatment methods involve medication and other counselling techniques, they also come with different side effects. Hence, the choice is now shifting to alternative treatment techniques. Herbal treatments are considered one of the most popular complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) administered. However, issues related to the safety and efficacy of herbal remedies for the treatment of ADHD need to be investigated further. This study aims to find out the recent advancement in evidence-based use of herbal remedies for ADHD by a comprehensive and systematic review that depicts the results of the published works on herbal therapy for the disorder. The electronic databases and the references retrieved from the included studies present related randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and open-label studies. Seven RCTs involving children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD met the inclusion criteria. There is a fair indication of the efficacy and safety of Melissa officinalis L., Bacopa monnieri (L.) Wettst., Matricaria chamomilla L., and Valeriana officinalis L. from the studies evaluated in this systematic review for the treatment of various symptoms of ADHD. Limited evidence was found for Ginkgo biloba L. and pine bark extract. However, various other preparations from other plants did not show significant efficacy. There is inadequate proof to strongly support and recommend the administration of herbal medicines for ADHD, but more research is needed in the relevant field to popularize the alternative treatment approach.

Keywords: Melissa officinalis L.; Valeriana officinalis L; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); complementary alternative medicine (CAM); herbal treatments; phytotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Author UA was employed by the company CytoGene Research & Development LLP. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The authors apologize for these errors and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA Flowchart showing the literature search for the systemic review.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Bar plot of the number of individuals under study in the included works.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Pie chart of the gender distribution of the participants in the included works.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Forest plot of the meta-analysis of individual studies. Generated by Python 3.3.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
The funnel plot of the meta-analysis shows the biasedness and overall results. Generated by R 4.1.1.
FIGURE 6
FIGURE 6
(A): Assessment of risk of bias. (B) Risk of bias graph. Key: HR–High Risk, LR–Low Risk and UR–Unclear Risk. Generated with the help of Cochrane risk of bias tool for RCTs in Review Manager 5 software version 5.2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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