Acupuncture for treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) patients often use complementary and alternative medicine to treat symptoms, and acupuncture is one option. This systematic review aims to assess whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: We will search nine databases from their inception: PubMed, AMED, CINAHL, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, RISS, KoreaMed, KISS, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure database. Two investigators will independently review the selected studies, extract the data, and analyze them. The Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool will be used to assess the risk of bias. DISCUSSION: Because this is a systematic review, no ethical approval is needed. The systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated both electronically and in print. The review will be updated to support health policy and practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Reviewregistry1345.