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Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Youths with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials and Biological Studies
Open accessAbstract
The role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 or n-3 PUFAs) in the pathogenesis and treatment of children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unclear. A systematic review followed by meta-analysis was conducted on: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of n-3 PUFAs on clinical symptoms and cognition in children and adolescent with ADHD; and (2) case–control studies assessing the levels of n-3 PUFAs in blood and buccal tissues of children and adolescents with ADHD. In seven RCTs, totalling n=534 randomized youth with ADHD, n-3 PUFAs supplementation improves ADHD clinical symptom scores (g=0.38, p<0.0001); and in three RCTs, totalling n=214 randomized youth with ADHD, n-3 PUFAs supplementation improves cognitive measures associated with attention (g=1.09, p=0.001). Moreover, children and adolescents with ADHD have lower levels of DHA (seven studies, n=412, g=−0.76, p=0.0002), EPA (seven studies, n=468, g=−0.38, p=0.0008), and total n-3 PUFAs (six studies, n=396, g=−0.58, p=0.0001). In summary, there is evidence that n-3 PUFAs supplementation monotherapy improves clinical symptoms and cognitive performances in children and adolescents with ADHD, and that these youth have a deficiency in n-3 PUFAs levels. Our findings provide further support to the rationale for using n-3 PUFAs as a treatment option for ADHD.
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“Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation was associated with small-to-medium improvements in ADHD symptoms in three meta-analyses (ten studies with 699 participants, 16 studies with 1,408 participants, 7 studies with 534 participants) (Bloch and Qawasmi, 2011; Chang et al., 2018; Hawkey and Nigg, 2014).”
From The World Federation of ADHD International Consensus Statement: 208 Evidence-based conclusions about the disorder (2021) · cites this paper as Chang et al., 2018
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Metadata
- Authors
- Chang, J. P.-C., Su, K.-P., Mondelli, V., & Pariante, C. M.
- Affiliations
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Chang, Jane Pei-Chen
- Venue
- Neuropsychopharmacology
- Published
- 2017-07-25
- Volume
- 43
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 534-545
- ISSN
- 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
- 1740-634X
- PMC
- PMC5669464
- OpenAlex
- W2738615641
- Semantic Scholar
- 5708a40f799e484d1e81601a1966eb5ffa125555
- Cited by
- 248
- References
- 58
- Citations by year
- 2026: 26 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 29 · 2019: 31 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 2.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Eli Lilly and Company (MR/J002739/1)
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (MR/L014815/1, MR/J002739/1)
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (CL-2008-17-005, MR/J002739/1, MR/L014815/1, NF-SI-0616-10074)
- Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS-SGCL5-Mondelli)
- King's College London
- China Medical University
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- Medical Research Council (MR/L014815/1, MR/N029488/1, MR/J002739/1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Aquatic Science › Aquaculture Nutrition and Growth
- Keywords
- omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, children and adolescents, dietary supplementation, docosahexaenoic acid, EPA, ADHD symptoms, cognitive performance, fatty acid deficiency, buccal tissue, blood fatty acid levels
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Humans, Fatty Acids, Omega-3, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
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