title: Considering biomedical/CAM treatments.
abstract: Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is widely used to treat children with psychiatric disorders. In this review, MedLine was searched for various biomedical/CAM treatments in combination with the key words "childre", "adolescents", "psychiatric disorders", and "complementary alternative medicine". The biomedical/CAM treatments most thoroughly researched were omega-3 fatty acids, melatonin, and memantine. Those with the fewest published studies were N-acetylcysteine, vitamin B12, and oxytocin, although many biomedical/CAM treatments have no published studies. Although data are modest, there is evidence to suggest that biomedical/CAM treatments may be helpful for a subgroup of children with psychiatric disorders. Further research and more randomized, controlled trials in children are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Jenna X
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Widjaja
authors.forename: Jae Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Hendren
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D015913:Chelation Therapy / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000628:therapy; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020902:Hypericum; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D010121:Oxytocin