A pilot study on the efficacy of Valeriana officinalis mother tincture and Valeriana officinalis 3X in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is anincreasingly prevalent behavioural disorder characterised by inattention,impulsivity and hyperactivity. Valerianaofficinalis is a botanical medicine that has been found to be beneficial inthe treatment of disorders characterised by restlessness. To date, no researchhas been conducted on homeopathic preparations of Valeriana officinalis for this condition. The aim of thisthree-week, doubleblind, placebo-controlled pilot study was to determine theefficacy of homeopathic Valerianaofficinalis mother tincture (MT) and 3X potency on ADHD. Thirty childrenbetween the ages of five and 11 years, pre-diagnosed with ADHD, were recruited.Valeriana officinalis MT (n = 10), 3X(n = 10) or placebo (n = 10) were administered orally three times a day for twoweeks. Efficacy was assessed by the Barkley and DuPaul teacher rating scale,the children’s checking task and the parent symptom questionnaire scores on day1 (prior to treatment), at the end of weeks two and three (with treatment), andthen after the third week following no treatment. A statistically significantimprovement was found in the participants’ behaviour in the MT and 3X groups,with particular reference to sustained attention, anxiety and impulsivityand/or hyperactivity. Preliminary findings suggested that Valeriana officinalis MT and 3X may have applications in themanagement of ADHD.

The aim of this three-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study was to determine the efficacy of homeopathic Valeriana officinalis mother tincture (MT) and 3X potency on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

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