Effectiveness of Yoga Exercises, Drug Therapy, and Combined Therapy in Reducing Symptoms of Selective Attention Deficit and Impulsivity among Children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

Purpose: The aim of this research is to compare the effectiveness of yoga exercises, drug therapy, and combined therapy in reducing symptoms of selective attention deficit and impulsivity in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Methods: The research method was semi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design. Sixty children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder were identified through interviews with a psychiatrist and the Conners Parent Rating Scale, and randomly assigned to four groups: control, yoga exercises, drug therapy, and combined therapy. During the pre-test, questionnaires on attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and impulsivity were completed by parents. During the intervention phase, the yoga exercises group engaged in yoga exercises for eight weeks, the drug therapy group received Ritalin, and the combined therapy group did both yoga exercises and received Ritalin. The control group did not receive any intervention. Finally, questionnaires were redistributed and collected for analysis using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) test (P<0.05). Results: The results showed that while yoga exercises and drug therapy led to a reduction in symptoms of selective attention deficit and impulsivity in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, the effectiveness of combined therapy was greater (P<0.05). Conclusions: Based on our results, yoga exercises can be recommended as a complementary therapy to drug therapy in improving symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]