Serum zinc correlates with parent- and teacher- rated inattention in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to explore the relationship of zinc nutrition to the severity of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in a middle-class American sample with well-diagnosed ADHD. Previous reports of zinc in ADHD, including two positive clinical trials of supplementation, have come mainly from countries and cultures with different diets and/or socioeconomic realities.


METHODS
Children 5-10 years of age with DISC- and clinician-diagnosed ADHD had serum zinc determinations and parent and teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms. Zinc levels were correlated (Pearson's and multiple regression) with ADHD symptom ratings.


RESULTS
Forty-eight children (37 boys, 11 girls; 33 combined type, 15 inattentive) had serum zinc levels with a median/mode at the lowest 30% of the laboratory reference range; 44 children also had parent/teacher ratings. Serum magnesium levels were normal. Nutritional intake by a parent-answered food frequency questionnaire was unremarkable. Serum zinc correlated at r = -0.45 (p = 0.004) with parent-teacher-rated inattention, even after controlling for gender, age, income, and diagnostic subtype, but only at r = -0.20 (p = 0.22) with CPT omission errors. In contrast, correlation with parent-teacher-rated hyperactivity-impulsivity was nonsignificant in the opposite direction.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings add to accumulating evidence for a possible role of zinc in ADHD, even for middle-class Americans, and, for the first time, suggest a special relationship to inattentive symptoms. They do not establish either that zinc deficiency causes ADHD nor that ADHD should be treated with zinc. Hypothesis-testing clinical trials are needed.
Arnold
L Eugene
LE
Department of Psychiatry, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43074, USA. arnold.6@osw.edu
Bozzolo
Hernan
H
Hollway
Jill
J
Cook
Amy
A
DiSilvestro
Robert A
RA
Bozzolo
Dawn R
DR
Crowl
Lindsay
L
Ramadan
Yaser
Y
Williams
Craig
C
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010290:Parents; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012574:Schools; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood*
D015032:Zinc