The effect of docosahexaenoic acid-containing food administration on symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—a placebo-controlled double-blind study

Abstract

We recently reported 'The effect of docosahexaenoic acidcontaining food administration on symptoms of attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder-a placebo-controlled doubleblind study ' (Hirayama et al, 2003). In that study, aggression of AD/HD schoolchildren was rated with our original questionnaire to their parents and teachers, and counted only when both of them gave the same assessment, like the method of AD/HD-related symptoms criteria of DSM-IV. However, the method of counting only when both of them agreed had a possibility that this method might lose detection power. Besides, there were only two questions about aggression in that study. Actually, we could not find any intergroup differences in aggression/hostility in that study. Here, we recalculated aggression as the sum of separate scores of both parents and teachers. Figure 1 shows the results of recalculations. In the DHA group, where subjects ate DHA-rich foods for 2 months, aggression was significantly reduced with significant differences from the control group with baseline as covariate. There was a discrepancy in the rating by parents and by teachers; the effect of active foods on hostility (question 1) was more appreciated by parents than by teachers, and the effect on physical aggression (question 2) was more appreciated by teachers than by parents. This was why recalculations of the sum of separately assessed scores were able to detect significant intergroup differences as shown in Figure 1. Although DHA-containing foods did not improve AD/HD-related symptoms (Hirayama et al, 2003), this effect of DHA on aggression, which we have already reported in healthy young adults (Hamazaki et al, 1996), may improve human relationships of AD/HD children both in school and in home, and, therefore, needs further investigation.

The effect of fish oil on physical aggression in schoolchildren ? a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

“…The authors of that study suggested that DHA might depress the brain noradrenergic system taking into account that attention of AD/HD children was not improved. The careful reevaluation of that study revealed that aggression (including physical aggression), the sum of the scores rated separately by parents and teachers, was significantly reduced in the DHA group compared with the control group [20]. Norepinephrine is related with aggression [21].…”

Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Role in the Prevention and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

“…If anything, there was an improvement of visual and auditory memory in placebo relative to DHA group. Subsequent recalculation of aggression in the 2 groups by taking into consideration the ratings by parents and the ratings by teachers separately revealed that the DHA intervention resulted in significantly reduced aggression as compared to placebo [165]. This beneficial effect of DHA treatment may have important implications for the social behavior of ADHD children.…”

Effects of an open-label pilot study with high-dose EPA/DHA concentrates on plasma phospholipids and behavior in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Hirayama et al [7] found that supplementation of 0.61 g of LC omega-3 fatty acids per day for two months (primarily DHA in foods) had no effect when analyzing parent and teacher assessments separately in children with ADHD; however, when analyzing assessments together, physical aggression significantly improved compared to the placebo group [8]. Voigt et al [9] supplemented children with ADHD for four months with 0.35 g of DHA per day and found no improvements in any ADHD symptoms.…”