What They Studied
Researchers at McLean Hospital, affiliated with Harvard Medical School, conducted an open-label exploratory study to evaluate whether a combination of Brain Balance Center exercises and Interactive Metronome training could reduce ADHD symptoms in children. The study was led by Dr. Martin H. Teicher, a developmental neuropsychiatrist at McLean Hospital's Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program.
Sixteen children diagnosed with ADHD (aged 8–14 years) participated in the Brain Balance program for 15 weeks. Eight typically developing children served as controls. Participants attended three one-hour sessions per week at Brain Balance Centers, which included sensorimotor exercises, academic activities, and Interactive Metronome training. Assessments were conducted at baseline, at the end of the 15-week program, and at a 7-month follow-up.
ADHD symptoms were measured using both parent-rated instruments (Conners 3 Parent Rating Scale) and clinician-rated assessments (Conners Clinical Index). The study also collected quantitative EEG (QEEG) data to assess changes in brain connectivity.
What They Found
ADHD Symptom Reduction
Children with ADHD showed significant improvements on multiple ADHD measures after completing the program. Parent-rated ADHD index scores on the Conners 3 scale improved significantly from pre- to post-program, with a large effect size. Improvements were observed across inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsivity subscales.
Clinician-rated scores on the Conners Clinical Index also showed significant improvement. The magnitude of these reductions was comparable to effect sizes reported in published literature for low-dose stimulant medication — a finding the authors noted was "particularly noteworthy" given that the intervention was nonpharmacological.
Sustained Improvements at Follow-Up
At the 7-month follow-up assessment, improvements in ADHD symptoms were maintained. This suggests that the benefits of the program were not merely a transient effect of active participation, but reflected durable changes in the children's functioning.
Brain Connectivity Changes
Quantitative EEG analysis revealed changes in brain connectivity patterns from pre- to post-program. While the small sample size limits the strength of these neuroimaging findings, the observed changes in coherence patterns were consistent with the behavioral improvements reported by parents and clinicians.
Rate-Dependent Effects
The study found evidence of rate-dependent effects: children with more severe ADHD symptoms at baseline tended to show greater improvement. This is consistent with findings from the broader Brain Balance research program, including a separate large-sample study of 4,041 participants published in Frontiers in Psychology.
Why It Matters
Stimulant medication is currently the most widely used treatment for childhood ADHD, but many families seek nonpharmacological alternatives due to concerns about side effects, medication resistance, or a preference for behavioral approaches. This study provides preliminary evidence that a structured multimodal program combining sensorimotor exercises, cognitive training, and rhythm-based activities may produce clinically meaningful ADHD symptom reductions without medication.
The involvement of Harvard Medical School's McLean Hospital — one of the leading psychiatric research institutions in the United States — lends institutional credibility to these findings. The study was independently designed and conducted by McLean Hospital researchers, with Brain Balance providing program access but not directing the research methodology.
The sustained improvements at the 7-month follow-up are particularly relevant for families evaluating long-term intervention options. Many behavioral interventions show initial gains that fade after the program ends; this study suggests the Brain Balance program's effects may persist.
Study Limitations
This was an open-label exploratory study with a small sample size (N=16 ADHD participants, 8 controls) and no placebo control group. Participants, parents, and clinicians were aware of group assignment, which may have influenced subjective ratings. The comparison to medication effects was based on published literature benchmarks rather than a head-to-head randomized trial. While the findings are encouraging, larger randomized controlled trials with blinded assessments are needed to confirm these results and establish the specific contribution of each program component.