Effects of Low Doses of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder of Children: A Systematic Review

Title:Effects of Low Doses of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder of Children: A Systematic Review

Volume: 11 Issue: 2

Author(s): Viviane Grassmann, Ruth Ferreira Santos-Galduroz and Jose Carlos Fernandes Galduroz

Affiliation:

Keywords: Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, behavior, children, cognition, dietary supplements and polyunsaturated fatty acids

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.

Cite this article as:

Grassmann Viviane, Santos-Galduroz Ferreira Ruth and Carlos Fernandes Galduroz Jose, Effects of Low Doses of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder of Children: A Systematic Review, Current Neuropharmacology 2013; 11(2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1570159X11311020005