The efficacy of mineral therapy in the treatment of attention deficit children with hyperactivity

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of Mineral Therapy in the treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADDH) , with regard to inattention, impulsivity and hyperactivity, in order to demonstrate Mineral Therapy as an alternati ve to cerebral stimulants, such as Methylphenidate Hydrochloride (Ritalin). rt was hypothesized that the Mineral Therapy would result in a substantial improvement in all aspects of ADDH, and could consequently be used as an alternati ve treatment in a number of cases. The study was a clinical trial, in which a placebo control group was compared with two experimental groups. The study was undertaken over a period of two years. Sixty attention deficit children with hyperactivity attending Livingstone Primary School were analyzed. The children involved in the study already taking Ritalin, administered and monitored by their physicians, were randomly divided, by the participating pharmacist, into two groups: one receiving placebo and Ritalin (n = 20); the other Mineral Therapy and Ritalin (n = 20). The balance of the children, who were not taking Ritalin, was given Mineral Therapy only (n = 20). Each of the subjects was treated and observed over a period of four months for the purpose of this study. Prior to and on completion of the four-month course of Mineral Therapy each subject completed two assessment tests, namely the Children's Checking Task and the Feuerstein Test. Additionally,