Clinically Significant Symptom Reduction in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Treated with
Heather A Gordon1, Julia J Rucklidge1, Neville M Blampied1
11 Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury , Christchurch, New Zealand .
Insights
Broad-spectrum micronutrients significantly improved attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, mood, and functioning in children. Treatment with vitamins and minerals was safe and well-tolerated, showing clinical benefits.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Nutritional Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
- Nutritional interventions are increasingly explored for managing ADHD symptoms.
- Micronutrient supplementation offers a potential adjunctive treatment avenue.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of a 36-ingredient micronutrient formulation for treating ADHD in children.
- To assess the impact of micronutrients on ADHD symptom severity, mood, and overall functioning.
Main Methods:
- An open-label, 6-month reversal design study involving 14 children (8-12 years) diagnosed with ADHD.
- Intervention phases involved titrated micronutrient supplementation (up to 15 capsules/day), interspersed with withdrawal phases.
- Standardized assessments included the Conners' Parent Rating Scale, CGI, and SDQ to measure outcomes.
Main Results:
- Micronutrient intervention phases showed significant reductions in ADHD symptoms, improved mood, and enhanced global functioning compared to withdrawal phases.
- Large effect sizes (d = 1.2-2.2) were observed for ADHD symptom improvement.
- 71% of participants experienced a ≥30% decrease in ADHD symptoms, and 79% were rated 'much improved' or 'very much improved' on the CGI.
Conclusions:
- Broad-spectrum micronutrients demonstrate significant clinical benefits and safety in treating childhood ADHD.
- The study supports the feasibility of using micronutrients as a treatment for ADHD.
- Further investigation via double-blind, placebo-controlled trials is recommended to confirm these findings.
Objective:
The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical effect and safety of a broad spectrum, 36 ingredient micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) in treating children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Methods:
This open-label, on-off-on-off (reversal design) study followed 14 participants (8-12 years of age) with ADHD, diagnosed using standardized instruments, for 6 months with no dropouts. Following baseline assessment, including hematology and biochemistry screening, participants began an 8 week treatment phase with micronutrients titrated up to maximum dose (15 capsules/day). Treatment was withdrawn for 4 weeks, reinstated for a further 8 weeks, and then withdrawn for 4 weeks. Primary outcomes included the Conners' Parent Rating Scale, the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI), and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire - Parent version (SDQ). Secondary outcomes were mood and global functioning.
Results:
Modified Brinley plots revealed a reduction in ADHD symptoms, improved mood, and improved overall functioning during intervention phases, and deterioration in ADHD symptoms, mood, and overall functioning during the withdrawal phases. Reliable change analyses, Cohen's d and percent superiority effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals and t tests confirmed clinically and statistically significant change between the intervention and withdrawal phases, with large effect sizes observed pre- to post-exposure of micronutrients (d = 1.2-2.2) on ADHD symptoms during intervention phases. Seventy-one percent of participants showed at least a 30% decrease in ADHD symptoms by the end of the second treatment phase, and 79% were identified as "much improved" or "very much improved" at the end of the second phase (5 months) based on the clinician-rated CGI when considering functioning generally. The SDQ showed that these benefits occurred across other areas of functioning including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and prosocial behaviours. The children's self-reports confirmed the improvements. Excellent adherence to treatment occurred throughout, side effects were mild and transitory, and no safety issues were identified through blood analyses.
Conclusions:
This study demonstrates the clinical benefit, feasibility, and safety of broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of childhood ADHD. Replications utilizing double-blind placebo-controlled studies are warranted. Trial is registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12612000645853.
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