Negin Pourfakhri1 
, ٍEbrahim Ghane azabadi *2 , Farzaneh Shayeghi Saghand3 , Zhaleh Harandi moghadam3 , Simin Niazi1 , Mohammad Hassan Tabatabaei1
, ٍEbrahim Ghane azabadi *2 , Farzaneh Shayeghi Saghand3 , Zhaleh Harandi moghadam3 , Simin Niazi1 , Mohammad Hassan Tabatabaei1
1- Science and Arts university
2- Farhangian university
3- Azad University
2- Farhangian university
3- Azad University
Abstract: (30 Views)
Background & Objective: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders that primarily manifests in childhood, although it often continues into adolescence and adulthood. It is characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and developmentally inappropriate hyperactivity. These symptoms significantly impair daily functioning, academic achievement, occupational performance, and social interactions. ADHD has been reported to be prevalent in approximately 11.4% of children and 76.6% of adults. Furthermore, it is twice as common in males as in females. It is one of the most heritable mental disorders. In addition, smoking during pregnancy, nutritional deficiencies, fetal alcohol exposure, and viral infections have also been identified as causes of ADHD. The brain abnormalities of students with ADHD can jeopardize their future lives and even lead to delinquent behavior. Neuropsychological problems in students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder can lead to numerous problems in their future careers and education, and attention to the treatment of these students' problems is essential. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the brain has been less studied for the treatment of people with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and its effectiveness on the psychological adjustment variable, which is an important variable in the education and social life of these people, has not been examined in the studies conducted. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the psychological adjustment of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in the first secondary school of Ashkezar city.
Methods: The method of this study was a semi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Thirty eligible volunteers were selected from among the students with ADHD in the first high school of Ashkezar city using a convenience sampling method and entered the study. Then, fifteen people were randomly assigned to the intervention group and fifteen people to the control group. The scores of the Adaptability Questionnaire (Bell, 1961) were compared in two time periods before and after brain stimulation treatment. Data analysis was performed using the analysis of covariance test in SPSS version 22 software. The significance level of the tests was 0.05.
Results: Data analysis showed that the mean scores of the psychological adjustment variable in students with ADHD in the intervention group and after receiving treatment decreased significantly compared to the control group (p<0.001). Based on the results of the effect size, 64% of the difference between the intervention group and the control group in the psychological adjustment variable was due to electrical brain stimulation.
Conclusion: One of the most common cortical targets for transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogeneous region and is closely associated with cognitive functions, decision-making, working memory, and emotion regulation. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is located in the middle frontal gyrus and is a part of the prefrontal cortex that is involved in executive functions and impulsive behaviors. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is mainly involved in pain perception and cognitive emotional processing through a top-down neural network, and is involved in the processing of pessimistic emotions, negative emotions, and alertness and arousal. Various studies have shown that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is dysfunctional in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and that manipulation of this part of the cortex can lead to improvement in psychological problems in individuals with this disorder. transcranial Direct Current Stimulation affects the activity of neurons under the electrodes and can manipulate the function of neurons by changing the firing rate and pattern of neurons or modulating synaptic release, neuronal uptake and sensitivity. The excitability of a neural network can be modified by modulating the probability of neurotransmitter release or the affinity of neurotransmitters for the receptor. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation can change the rate of neurotransmitter release by affecting the propagation of action potentials or the probability of vesicle release. Psychological adaptation is very closely related to the mood and emotion of individuals. Since attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by impairments in the function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, manipulation of this area by transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and the effect that this intervention has on neuronal and cortical modifiable as well as modulating the release of neurotransmitters leads to improved mood and emotion regulation of the individual after receiving transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, which can improve the individual's psychological adaptation to the environment. The results of the present study showed that 10 sessions of 20-minute transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the brain at 2 mA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the left anode/right cathode have a significant effect on the psychological adjustment of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the first high school of Ashkezar city and can improve psychological adjustment in these students. Therefore, according to the results of this study, it seems that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation can be used as an effective treatment along with other therapeutic methods to treat psychological problems of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Methods: The method of this study was a semi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. Thirty eligible volunteers were selected from among the students with ADHD in the first high school of Ashkezar city using a convenience sampling method and entered the study. Then, fifteen people were randomly assigned to the intervention group and fifteen people to the control group. The scores of the Adaptability Questionnaire (Bell, 1961) were compared in two time periods before and after brain stimulation treatment. Data analysis was performed using the analysis of covariance test in SPSS version 22 software. The significance level of the tests was 0.05.
Results: Data analysis showed that the mean scores of the psychological adjustment variable in students with ADHD in the intervention group and after receiving treatment decreased significantly compared to the control group (p<0.001). Based on the results of the effect size, 64% of the difference between the intervention group and the control group in the psychological adjustment variable was due to electrical brain stimulation.
Conclusion: One of the most common cortical targets for transcranial Direct Current Stimulation is the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is a structurally and functionally heterogeneous region and is closely associated with cognitive functions, decision-making, working memory, and emotion regulation. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is located in the middle frontal gyrus and is a part of the prefrontal cortex that is involved in executive functions and impulsive behaviors. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is mainly involved in pain perception and cognitive emotional processing through a top-down neural network, and is involved in the processing of pessimistic emotions, negative emotions, and alertness and arousal. Various studies have shown that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is dysfunctional in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and that manipulation of this part of the cortex can lead to improvement in psychological problems in individuals with this disorder. transcranial Direct Current Stimulation affects the activity of neurons under the electrodes and can manipulate the function of neurons by changing the firing rate and pattern of neurons or modulating synaptic release, neuronal uptake and sensitivity. The excitability of a neural network can be modified by modulating the probability of neurotransmitter release or the affinity of neurotransmitters for the receptor. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation can change the rate of neurotransmitter release by affecting the propagation of action potentials or the probability of vesicle release. Psychological adaptation is very closely related to the mood and emotion of individuals. Since attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder is characterized by impairments in the function of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, manipulation of this area by transcranial Direct Current Stimulation and the effect that this intervention has on neuronal and cortical modifiable as well as modulating the release of neurotransmitters leads to improved mood and emotion regulation of the individual after receiving transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, which can improve the individual's psychological adaptation to the environment. The results of the present study showed that 10 sessions of 20-minute transcranial Direct Current Stimulation of the brain at 2 mA in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the left anode/right cathode have a significant effect on the psychological adjustment of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in the first high school of Ashkezar city and can improve psychological adjustment in these students. Therefore, according to the results of this study, it seems that transcranial Direct Current Stimulation can be used as an effective treatment along with other therapeutic methods to treat psychological problems of students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Keywords: transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, psychological adjustment, students, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Type of Study: Original Research Article |
Subject:
Psychology
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