Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2023 Jan 23;13(2):200.
doi: 10.3390/jpm13020200.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a Possible Evidence-Based Rehabilitation Treatment Option for a Patient with ADHD and History of Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Case Report Study

Clotilde Guidetti  1 , Patrizia Brogna  2 , Daniela Pia Rosaria Chieffo  3   4 , Ida Turrini  5 , Valentina Arcangeli  3 , Azzurra Rausa  1 , Maddalena Bianchetti  1 , Elisa Rolleri  1 , Chiara Santomassimo  2 , Gianluigi Di Cesare  2 , Giuseppe Ducci  2 , Domenico M Romeo  1   5 , Claudia Brogna  5
Affiliations
Case Reports

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) as a Possible Evidence-Based Rehabilitation Treatment Option for a Patient with ADHD and History of Adverse Childhood Experiences: A Case Report Study

Clotilde Guidetti et al. J Pers Med. .

Abstract

Background: Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) having a history of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) could be very difficult to treat with standard psychotherapeutic approaches. Some children diagnosed with ADHD may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or have had experienced a significant traumatic event. Trauma and PTSD could exacerbate ADHD core symptoms and be a risk factor of poor outcome response.

Objective: to report for the first time the history of a patient with ADHD and ACE successfully treated with an EMDR approach.

Conclusion: EMDR could be a promising treatment for ADHD children with a history of traumatic experiences in addition to pharmacological treatments.

Keywords: ADHD; EMDR; adverse childhood experiences (ACE).

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Petruccelli K., Davis J., Berman T. Adverse childhood experiences and associated health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Abus. Negl. 2019;97:104127. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104127. - DOI - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association . Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) American Psychiatric Publication; Washington, DC, USA: 2013.
    1. Deighton S., Neville A., Pusch D., Dobson K. Biomarkers of adverse childhood experiences: A scoping review. Psychiatry Res. 2018;269:719–732. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.097. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Herzog J.I., Schmahl C. Adverse childhood experiences and the consequences on neurobiological, psychosocial, and somatic conditions across the lifespan. Front. Psychiatry. 2018;9:420. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00420. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Weems C.F., Russell J.D., Neill E.L., McCurdy B.H. Annual research review: Pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder from a neurodevelopmental network perspective. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry. 2019;60:395–408. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12996. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources