Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Megavitamins and learning disorders: a controlled double-blind experiment.

J Kershner, W Hawke

    The Journal of Nutrition
    |May 1, 1979
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    The career success of an adult with a learning disability: a psychosocial study of amnesic-semantic aphasia.

    Journal of learning disabilities·1995
    Same author

    Consonant-vowel lateralization in dyslexic children: deficit or compensatory development?

    Brain and language·1992
    Same author

    Correlates of competence in a child psychiatric population.

    Journal of consulting and clinical psychology·1988
    Same author

    Sex-linked left lateralized central processor for hierarchically-structured material? Evidence from Broca's aphasia.

    Neuropsychologia·1986
    Same author

    Concurrent validity of the internalizing and externalizing profile patterns of the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist.

    Journal of consulting and clinical psychology·1985
    Same author

    Writing induces a right hemisphere linguistic advantage in dysphonetic dyslexic children: implications for attention and capacity models of laterality.

    Brain and language·1984

    High-dose vitamin supplementation did not improve learning disabled children's cognitive or behavioral measures. Urinary kryptopyrrole levels were not a valid screening tool for vitamin-dependent learning disorders.

    Area of Science:

    • Nutritional Neuroscience
    • Developmental Psychology
    • Clinical Pediatrics

    Background:

    • Learning disabilities affect a significant number of children, impacting academic and behavioral outcomes.
    • Previous research has explored the potential role of high-dose vitamin supplementation in managing learning disorders.
    • The hypothesis of 'vitamin-dependent learning disorders' suggests specific nutrient deficiencies may underlie some cases.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the efficacy of combined high-dose vitamin supplementation (ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, pyridoxine) in children with learning disabilities.
    • To assess the impact of supplementation on intellectual, academic, perceptual, and behavioral measures.
    • To determine the validity of urinary kryptopyrrole excretion as a screening tool for vitamin-dependent learning disorders.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Methods:

    • A double-blind, 6-month study involving 20 learning-disabled children.
    • Participants received either a low carbohydrate-high protein diet with vitamin supplements or the diet alone.
    • Standardized intellectual, academic, perceptual, and behavioral assessments were administered, alongside parent-administered behavior checklists and urinary kryptopyrrole analysis.

    Main Results:

    • No significant improvements were observed in intellectual, academic, perceptual, or behavioral measures for the vitamin-supplemented group compared to the diet-only group.
    • A majority of children (18/20) showed behavioral improvements on parent checklists, irrespective of treatment group, suggesting potential placebo effects or maturation.
    • Urinary kryptopyrrole excretion levels did not correlate with pre- or post-test gains, invalidating its use as a screening marker for the studied condition.

    Conclusions:

    • High-dose supplementation with ascorbic acid, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, and pyridoxine is not effective in improving outcomes for children with learning disabilities.
    • Parental enthusiasm or natural maturation may explain observed behavioral improvements, highlighting the need for rigorous placebo-controlled trials.
    • Urinary kryptopyrrole is an unreliable indicator for identifying 'vitamin-dependent learning disorders' requiring pharmacologic doses of these vitamins.