A randomised controlled trial into the effects of food on ADHD.
The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of a restricted elimination diet in reducing symptoms in an unselected group of children with Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Dietary studies have already shown evidence of efficacy in selected subgroups. Twenty-seven children (mean age 6.2) who all met the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD, were assigned randomly to either an intervention group (15/27) or a waiting-list control group (12/27). Primary endpoint was the clinical response, i.e. a decrease in the symptom scores by 50% or more, at week 9 based on parent and teacher ratings on the abbreviated ten-item Conners Scale and the ADHD-DSM-IV Rating Scale. The intention-to-treat analysis showed that the number of clinical responders in the intervention group was significantly larger than that in the control group [parent ratings 11/15 (73%) versus 0/12 (0%); teacher ratings, 7/10 (70%) versus 0/7 (0%)]. The Number of ADHD criteria on the ADHD Rating Scale showed an effect size of 2.1 (cohen's d) and a scale reduction of 69.4%. Comorbid symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder also showed a significantly greater decrease in the intervention group than it did in the control group (cohens's d 1.1, scale reduction 45.3%). A strictly supervised elimination diet may be a valuable instrument in testing young children with ADHD on whether dietary factors may contribute to the manifestation of the disorder and may have a beneficial effect on the children's behaviour.
Pelsser
Lidy M J
LM
ADHD Research Centre, Liviuslaan 49, The Netherlands. lmjpelsser@worldmail.nl
Frankena
Klaas
K
Toorman
Jan
J
Savelkoul
Huub F J
HF
Pereira
Rob Rodrigues
RR
Buitelaar
Jan K
JK
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004032:Diet; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male