Free fatty acid supplementation produced small but significant reductions in ADHD symptoms even with probably blinded assessment s , although the clinical significance of these effects remains to be determined .
Artificial food color exclusion produced larger effects but often in individuals selected for food sensitivities .
OBJECTIVE Nonpharmacological treatments are available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) , although their efficacy remains uncertain .
The authors undertook meta-analyses of the efficacy of dietary ( restricted elimination diets , artificial food color exclusions , and free fatty acid supplementation ) and psychological ( cognitive training , neurofeedback , and behavioral interventions ) ADHD treatments .
Gamma-linolenic acid for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: Placebo-controlled comparison to d-amphetamine
In a Latin-square double-crossover with r and om assignment to sequence , 18 boys , aged 6 - 12 years , with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder received 1 month each of placebo , D-amphetamine , and Efamol ( evening primrose oil containing gamma-linolenic acid , with vitamin E as preservative ) . Parents ' ratings were noncontributory . Teachers ' ratings showed a trend of  Efamol effect between placebo and D-amphetamine . The trend reached significance ( p less than 0.05 ) only on Conners Hyperactivity Factor . Dosage may be crucial ; 8 Efamol capsules per day were used in this study . Heuristic data scrutiny suggested possible interaction ( sequence effect ) . Further study with a different design and dose is suggested . This study does not establish Efamol as an effective treatment
Free fatty acid supplementation produced small but significant reductions in ADHD symptoms even with probably blinded assessment s , although the clinical significance of these effects remains to be determined .
Artificial food color exclusion produced larger effects but often in individuals selected for food sensitivities .
OBJECTIVE Nonpharmacological treatments are available for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) , although their efficacy remains uncertain .
The authors undertook meta-analyses of the efficacy of dietary ( restricted elimination diets , artificial food color exclusions , and free fatty acid supplementation ) and psychological ( cognitive training , neurofeedback , and behavioral interventions ) ADHD treatments .