title: Effects of low doses of polyunsaturated Fatty acids on the attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder of children: a systematic review.
abstract: Since attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) presents high prevalence among children, science has been researching alternative forms of treatment that do not involve medication.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed the articles published between 1980 and 2012 indexed in the databases PubMed, APA psychNET, Scopus and Web of Knowledge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initially 231 articles were selected, out of which 12 met the inclusion criteria. The articles selected reported a modest cognitive and behavioral improvement of the patients after treatment with low doses of PUFAs. Those results might be associated with the evaluation methodology, the doses of PUFAs administered or the duration of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychobiology (Departamento de Psicobiologia) - Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Brazil.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grassmann
authors.forename: Ruth Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Santos-Galduróz
authors.forename: José Carlos Fernandes
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Galduróz
keywords: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; behavior; children; cognition; dietary supplements and polyunsaturated fatty acids.