Objectives: To preliminarily assess the effects and feasibility of parent-delivered TCM pediatric massage for ADHD symptoms in preschool children.~Hypothesis: The parent-delivered TCM pediatric massage group would have greater improvement in children's hyperactivity, anxiety, and sleep disturbance symptoms when compared to the parent-child interaction group.~Design and subjects: In this pilot randomized controlled trial, 60 pair of children with pre-specified ADHD symptoms and their parent will be recruited and randomized to parent-administered TCM pediatric massage comparison group, and parent-child interaction group at a 1: 1 ratio.~Interventions: Parents of subjects in the parent-administered TCM massage group (n=30) will attend 2 training sessions (5 hours in total) to learn and practice the parent-administered TCM massage for ADHD before treatment starts. The parents will be told to practice the TCM massage on their child every 2 days for 2 months. Parents in the parent-child interaction group (comparison group, n=30) will attend a 3-hour training course on line and spend extra time on interacting with their child at home.~Main outcome measures: The primary outcome measure is the Swanson, Nolan and Pelham Parent Scale (SNAP-IV-P). Other outcomes include Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS), Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Parental Stress Scale (PSS) for parental stress, and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI).~Data Analysis: Differences in the scale scores and test parameters between groups will be examined using a linear mixed-effects model.~Expected results: Subjects in the parent-administered TCM massage group will have greater improvements in the ADHD symptoms compared to those in the parent-child interaction group at week 4 and week 8.
This project is designed to preliminarily assess the effects and feasibility of parent-delivered TCM pediatric massage for ADHD symptoms in preschool children.