ReviewFrontiers in psychiatry2026
Neurophysiological and biological effects of music-based interventions in ADHD: a mini review.
Review in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasingly recognized as a lifespan neurodevelopmental condition. Because musical perception and production engage auditory, attentional, motor, emotional, and regulatory systems simultaneously, music-based interventions have emerged as promising complementary approaches for ADHD. However, their underlying neurophysiological and systemic biological correlates remain insufficiently understood. This mini review synthesizes evidence on behavioral, neurophysiological, and biological effects of music-based interventions in ADHD using a narrative approach. Current evidence suggests that music-based interventions may influence domains related to attention, impulse control, emotional regulation, and broader behavioral functioning. Neurophysiological findings indicate potential effects on auditory processing, interhemispheric synchronization, and cortical oscillatory activity, as demonstrated using MRI, MEG, and EEG. Preliminary systemic biological findings further suggest modulation of stress-related and autonomic processes, including cortisol, serotonin, heart rate, blood pressure, and heart-rate variability. Importantly, almost all studies identified in this review were conducted in children and adolescents, despite ADHD being increasingly recognized as a lifespan condition. Consequently, the generalizability of current findings to adults with ADHD remains uncertain. Furthermore, the available evidence base is limited by small sample sizes, inconsistent reporting standards, multimodal intervention designs, and insufficient control of medication effects. Overall, music-based interventions represent a promising but still insufficiently characterized approach for ADHD. Future research should integrate behavioral, neurophysiological, and biological outcomes within adequately powered, mechanistically informed, and developmentally sensitive study designs to clarify therapeutic mechanisms and clinical relevance across the lifespan.
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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.