THE EFFICACY OF BARABASZS ALERT HYPNOSIS AND NEUROTHERAPY ON ATTENTIVENESS, IMPULISIVITYAND HYPERACTIVITY IN CHILDREN WITH ADHD

Eighteen children and one young adult who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD were treated using Barabaszʹ alert hypnosis instantaneous neuronal activation procedure (INAP) as an adjunct to neurotherapy. Pre- and posttest means on each subscale (Inattentive, Impulsive and Hyperactive) of the Attention Deficit Disorders Evaluation Scale - Home Version were compared using a t test for dependent samples. For each subscale, the mean posttest score was significantly lower than the mean pretest score, p <.001, indicating parents reported fewer incidents of inattentive, impulsive and hyperactive behaviors in their children following treatment. Ratings provided by the therapist also suggested improvement in the self-monitoring behaviors of the majority of clients, with five of the children no longer meeting the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Several threats to internal validity are noted as a result of not having a comparison group, and outcomes cannot be generalized beyond the specific therapist providing the intervention in this study. Nevertheless, the findings are sufficiently impressive to suggest the need for further investigations into the efficacy of the alert hypnosis procedure (INAP) introduced.