March 19, 2015

expert reaction to study on dietary omega-3 supplements and attention in boys with and without ADHD

A paper published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology has studied the use of omega-3 supplements as a possible treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The authors report that in their cohort of forty boys, dietary omega-3 supplements reduced symptoms of ADHD.

Prof. Eric Taylor, Emeritus Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, said:

“This helpful trial adds support to the current scientific consensus – that there are modest but statistically significant beneficial effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (EPA/DHA) for children with ADHD. Safety and affordability remain to be established.

“For typically developing children, the picture is less clear. The paper analyses them together with ADHD, and finds an overall effect, and the rigorous statistical tests do not confirm a significant difference between ADHD and ordinary children – but the effect in the typically developing children alone is smaller and probably not significant, because the relevant part of the paper says “the typically developing group receiving active treatment did not show a significant reduction in attention problems”. More research is needed before fully accepting that the supplements will be effective in the general population.”

‘Reduced symptoms of inattention after dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in boys with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder’ by Dienke et al. published in Neuropsychopharmacology on Thursday 19th March. 

Declared interests

Prof. Eric Taylor chaired the guidelines development group for NICE. He has conducted a trial partly sponsored by Equazene (now Vifor). He has earned royalties from books on ADHD. He is a trustee for several charities, including Association for Child and Adolescent Mental health, Place2Be, and Autistica.