Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Aug;18(8):653-8.

Does omega-3 supplement enhance the therapeutic results of methylphenidate in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients?

Fatemeh Behdani  1 , Paria Hebrani  2 , Afshin Naseraee  3 , Mehri Baghban Haghighi  4 , Amir Akhavanrezayat  5
Affiliations

Does omega-3 supplement enhance the therapeutic results of methylphenidate in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder patients?

Fatemeh Behdani et al. J Res Med Sci. 2013 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Although most of the ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) patients respond to stimulant drugs very well, alternative drugs are required for non respondents. It has been revealed that subgroups of patients with ADHD have omega-3 fatty acid deficiency. So, the present study was planned to illustrate the effect of omega-3 supplementation, as an add-on to methylphenidate, on ADHD patients.

Materials and methods: In this double-blind RCT, ADHD children without any co morbidity, who had been diagnosed by a child and adolescent psychiatrist in child and adolescent university clinic, participated and were randomly divided into 2 groups. The experimental group methylphenidate plus omega-3 capsule (2000mg/d), while control group took methylphenidate plus placebo. Severity of ADHD symptoms were assessed by ADHD rating scale at the baseline and after 2, 4 and 8 weeks of treatment.

Results: 69 patients (experimental = 36, control = 33) aged 7 to 15 participated. A significant reduction of both parent's and teacher's ADHD rating scale scores in both groups was observed. Bu t it couldn't show any difference between two groups. Difference score of parent's at baseline was 1.86+- (5/40), Pv 0.262, after 2 weeks -.70+- (4/30), Pv 0.668,4 weeks. 19+- (5/60), Pv 0.902 and 8 weeks. 30+- (4/42), Pv 0.845. Difference score of Teacher's at baseline was -1.56+- (3/45), Pv 0.541, after 2 weeks -.46+- (6/24), Pv 0.888, 4 weeks. 45+- (5/41), 0.868 and 8 weeks. 73+- (4/18), Pv 0.748.

Conclusion: Omega-3 did not enhance the therapeutic results of methylphenidate in ADHD patients.

Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; methylphenidate; omega-3.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
ADHD rating scale scores change in experimental and control groups during 8 weeks of study
Chart 1
Chart 1
flow chart study. Presents the numbers of participants who were randomly assigned, received omega3 or placebo, and were analysed for the primary outcome
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bussing R. Diagnostic utility of two commonly used ADHD screening measures among special education students. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1998;37:74–82. - PubMed
    1. Findling RL, Dogin JW. Psychopharmacology of ADHD in children and adolescents. J Clin Psychiatry. 1998;59 7:42–9. - PubMed
    1. Silva R, Munoz D, Alpert M. Carbamazepine use in children and Adolescents with features of ADHD, A meta analysis. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1996;35:352–7. - PubMed
    1. Conners DF, Fletcher KE, Swanson JW. A meta analysis of clonidine for symptoms of ADHD. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1999;38:1551–9. - PubMed
    1. Jenson P. ADHD co morbidity findings from the MTA study: Comparing co morbid subgroups. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2000;40:147–57. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources