The Effect of Adding Sour Cherry Concentrate to The Usual Treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder In 6...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Psychiatry
• Nutritional Neuroscience
• Complementary Medicine

Background:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children.
• Investigating natural interventions for ADHD symptoms is an area of growing interest.
• Sour cherry concentrate is explored for its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of sour cherry concentrate as an adjunct therapy for ADHD symptoms in children.
• To assess the impact of sour cherry concentrate on cognitive impairments, hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional behavior, and overall ADHD index.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 70 children diagnosed with ADHD.
• Intervention group received 75 ml of sour cherry concentrate twice daily for 2 weeks alongside routine treatment.
• The Conner's Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) was used for pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Main Results:

• No statistically significant differences were found between the sour cherry concentrate group and the control group in the change of cognitive impairments, hyperactivity/impulsivity, oppositional behavior, or ADHD index.
• Reported side effects in the intervention group included abdominal pain (28.6%) and asthenia (31.4%).

Conclusions:

• Sour cherry concentrate did not demonstrate a beneficial effect on the core symptoms of ADHD in this study population.
• The findings suggest that sour cherry concentrate is not an effective treatment for ADHD symptoms.
• Potential adverse effects warrant consideration when evaluating natural interventions.