Passionflower in the treatment of ADHD: Passiflora incarnata may improve some symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Abstract

Background: Psychostimulants and, as second-line options, clonidine and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors as well as SSRIs have proven effective in the treatment of ADHD. However, herbal medicines such as chamomile, hops, valerian or even ginkgo also appear to be effective in treating this disorder. There are, however, few systematic observations in this regard. For this reason, the effect of Passiflora incarnata on ADHD was investigated.

Method: Our 14-year-old male patient with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD, diagnosed according to ICD-10 criteria, was assessed using the Conners scales before and after 4 weeks of Passiflora incarnata administration.

Results: Overall, the mean score improved markedly, as did the factors hyperactivity and inattention as well as impulsivity.

Conclusions: Despite the limitation that generalizing from a single-case observation is very difficult, the results of our observation nevertheless suggest at least a supportive effect of Passiflora incarnata.