Harvard University & McLean Hospital - September 2020
An exploratory study by Harvard University & McLean Hospital found that the Brain Balance Program® was as effective as stimulant medication in alleviating ADHD symptoms in children.
The research study was focused on the impact of aspects of the Brain Balance program on kids with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Harvard University researchers examined ADHD symptoms in children before and after participation in a home-based Brain Balance Program. The study revealed comparable results similar to those of a low-dose drug often used to treat the symptoms of ADHD.
Study Insights:
- Kids with ADHD who completed an at-home version of the Brain Balance Program saw:
- A significant reduction in ADHD index scores.
- Discernible changes in hyperactivity and enhanced cognitive attention.
- Smaller-scale reductions in oppositional behavior.
- Brain imaging results showed a number of discernible changes in connectivity of various brain areas that play vital roles in memory and stress responses.
- These brain connections were significantly improved post-Brain Balance Program, and were seen to have long-lasting benefits.
The results of this exploratory study are promising for individuals diagnosed with ADHD as an alternative to drug therapies currently being used for the management and treatment of ADHD.
Read the full study summary and access the white paper.
Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Communications Research
Brain Balance published new research highlighting a decrease in ADHD symptoms as reported by parents after the completion of a three-month Brain Balance program. The study, published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, indicated children with more severe ADHD symptoms at baseline are more likely to observe a decrease in symptoms over the course of the program. Additionally, age was also a predictor, showing younger participants were more likely to observe reliable change.
Study Insights:
Parents of children who completed the Brain Balance Program reported the following improvements, on average:
- Over the course of the 3-month program, participants on average experienced a decline in ADHD symptoms.
- Strikingly, the study showed the chances of a Brain Balance Program participant improving pre to post-program was 81%.
- The study also showed the most positive post-program outcomes in younger children, and children exhibiting more severe symptoms.
- The study utilized the Brown Attention-Deficit Disorder Scale, a widely-used parental scale to assess ADHD symptoms in kids and adolescents. Scores were reported by parents pre-and post-completion of a three-month program.
Read the full summary and access the peer-reviewed published study.
Journal of Mental Health & Clinical Psychology Research
Research published in the Journal of Mental Health and Clinical Psychology suggests that the Brain Balance Program is an effective, non-drug option for reducing and improving emotional and developmental challenges associated with anxiety, ADHD or autism.
The study focused on children who were at or below developmental milestones and evaluated the parent-reported changes in their behavior before and after undergoing 5-6 months of the Brain Balance program. The findings revealed that nearly all the children who participated in the program showed improvements in mental well-being, with most categories reaching an average of 40-50% improvement.
Study Insights:
Parents of children who completed the Brain Balance Program reported the following improvements, on average:
- 40% improvement in behavior and anxiety
- 50% improvement in emotional functioning, ability to retain academic information, and social confidence
- 60% improvement in overall happiness
Cambridge Brain Sciences Research
Brain Balance, in collaboration with Cambridge Brain Sciences, conducted a study to examine the effect of the Brain Balance Program® on the cognitive performance of children and adolescents with developmental and attention challenges.
The results, published in the Journal of Advances in Medicine & Medical Research, show that children who completed three months of the Brain Balance Program displayed significant improvements in cognition, particularly in areas of memory, reasoning, verbal ability, and concentration.
There are also significant improvements in cognitive performance when comparing the participants who completed three months of the program to those who completed an average of just 27 days of the Brain Balance Program.
Some significant improvements were also seen in the control group of children who completed an average of just 27 days in the Brain Balance Program. In 4 to 6-year-olds, those improvements were in tasks that measured attention and concentration. The 7+-year-old participants improved in planning and executive function. This suggests that while the three-month program was more effective, some specific cognitive areas can see improvements more quickly.
Home-Based Brain Balance® Program Study from California San Francisco (UCSF)
Brain Balance has recently begun a study, in collaboration with researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF), to assess the impact of the home-based Brain Balance program in improving outcomes in a population of children with attention and cognition difficulties.
Status: Study In Progress
University of Cambridge Research
In a study that was not associated with Brain Balance, scientists from the University of Cambridge found that weak connectivity between different regions of the brain may be the reason why some children struggle. The severity of the learning difficulties were strongly associated with connectedness of brain hubs, suggesting that the connectivity between these hubs plays a key role in passing information between different areas of the brain.
Status: Study In Progress
Brain Balance Program Research Packet
For the past decade, Brain Balance has helped more than 50,000 families answer the question, “How can I help my child do better with focus, academics, behavior, anxiety and in social settings?” Read the Research Packet to learn the foundation of our approach and see scientific research that supports our approach.