Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30768393›Full record

Trial reportJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry2019

Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled, Pilot Study of Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

James J McGough, Alexandra Sturm, Jennifer Cowen, Kelly Tung, Giulia C Salgari, Andrew F Leuchter, Ian A Cook, Catherine A Sugar, Sandra K Loo

4 registry-linked trialsAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 4 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 59 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
59citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT02155608 nacompletednot on this map

Developmental Pilot Study of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for ADHD

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of California, Los AngelesRan2015 to 2018Enrolled62ConditionsAttention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)ArmsActive eTNS, Sham eTNS
NCT02990793 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

A Prospective, Double Blind, Randomized, Sham-Controlled, Clinical Trial to Evaluate The Safety And Efficacy Of Biometrics-Guided Magnetic EEG Resonance Therapy (MeRT) Treatment Of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

TypeinterventionalSponsorWave NeuroscienceRan2022 to 2025Enrolled158ConditionsPostTraumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, Postconcussive SymptomsArmsActive MeRT Treatment, Sham MeRT Treatment
NCT05374187 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

Efficacy of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment of ADHD

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of California, Los AngelesRan2022 to 2026Enrolled218ConditionsAttention-Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderArmsActive eTNS, Sham eTNS
NCT06638450 narecruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Dense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation Plus Body Acupuncture for Adolescents With Psychological Distress: a Randomized Controlled Trial With Observations on Salivary Oxytocin and Cortisol Changes

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe University of Hong KongRan2026 to 2028Enrolled148ConditionsPsychological Distress, InsomniaArmsDense Cranial Electroacupuncture Stimulation plus Body Acupuncture (DCEAS+BA), Minimal Acupuncture Stimulation (MAS)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

59 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Guideline
  5. Trial
  6. Double-blind, sham-controlled, pilot study of trigeminal nerve stimulation for autism spectrum disorder.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2026
    Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Noninvasive neuromodulation reduces symptoms of restless legs syndrome.Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine · 2021
    Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Trial
  13. Trial
  14. Child and adolescent psychiatry: challenges, solutions, opportunities, and future directions.World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) · 2026
    Article
  15. Article
  16. Safety and Efficacy of Transcranial Random Noise Stimulation in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review.Clinical psychopharmacology and neuroscience : the official scientific journal of the Korean College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Review
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

James J McGoughSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA. Electronic address: jmcgough@mednet.ucla.edu.
Alexandra SturmSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.
Jennifer CowenSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.
Kelly TungSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.
Giulia C SalgariSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.
Andrew F LeuchterSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.
Ian A CookDavid Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA, and NeuroSigma, Inc., Los Angeles, CA.
Catherine A SugarDavid Geffen School of Medicine and the Fielding School of Public Health at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA.
Sandra K LooSemel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA.

Funding

Developmental Pilot Study of External Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for ADHDR34MH101282 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · PI LOO, SANDRA K, MCGOUGH, JAMES JOHN · 2014 to 2016
$693k
NIMH NIH HHS R34 MH101282
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTrigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS), a minimal-risk noninvasive neuromodulation method, showed potential benefits for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in an unblinded open study. The present blinded sham-controlled trial was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of TNS for ADHD and potential changes in brain spectral power using resting-state quantitative electroencephalography.

methodSixty-two children 8 to 12 years old, with full-scale IQ of at least 85 and Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-diagnosed ADHD, were randomized to 4 weeks of nightly treatment with active or sham TNS, followed by 1 week without intervention. Assessments included weekly clinician-administered ADHD Rating Scales (ADHD-RS) and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scales and quantitative electroencephalography at baseline and week 4.

resultsADHD-RS total scores showed significant group-by-time interactions (F

conclusionThis study demonstrates TNS efficacy for ADHD in a blinded sham-controlled trial, with estimated treatment effect size similar to non-stimulants. TNS is well tolerated and has minimal risk. Additional research should examine treatment response durability and potential impact on brain development with sustained use. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation for ADHD; http://clinicaltrials.gov/; NCT02155608.

Indexed as

Attention Deficit Disorder with HyperactivityChildDouble-Blind MethodElectric Stimulation TherapyExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansLogistic ModelsMalePilot ProjectsPsychiatric Status Rating ScalesTreatment OutcomeTrigeminal NerveUnited Statesattention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderclinical trialneuromodulationtrigeminal nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID30768393
PMCPMC6481187

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.