Kebaikan Omega guard untuk kanak-kanak ADHD dan masalah pembelajaran

Evidence of omega-3 related to Developmental Coordination

Disorder/Dyspraxia & Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Omega-3 DHA and EPA for Cognition, Behavior, and Mood:

Clinical Findings and Structural-Functional Synergies with Cell Membrane Phospholipids(Kidd 2007)

A double-blind RCT was conducted on 117 children ages 5-12, using a mixed omega-3/omega-6

supplement versus an olive oil placebo.(Freeman, Hibbeln et al. 2006) The supplement was 80-percent fish oil and 20-percent evening primrose oil, with a 4:1 omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. The total daily dose provided 174 mg DHA, 558 mg EPA, and 60 mg omega-6 gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), plus 9.6 mg d-alpha tocopherol. Although the trial found no significant improvement in motor skills after three months, the researchers did report significant improvements in other areas.

 The children who received the omega-3/omega-6 supplement showed 3 times the normal expected gain in reading skills and twice the normal gain in spelling competency, plus marked improvement in behavior.

The children who received the olive oil placebo were switched to the omega-3/omega-6 supplement after three months and after three more months showed similar “catch-up” gains.

Other developmental brain disorders in children such as AD/HD and dyslexia overlap with DCD/dyspraxia and are also linked to apparent DHA/EPA deficits. Many of these children respond to oral supplementation of these nutrients, often administered with other nutrients as part of a comprehensive management regimen

Several studies have reported reduced blood concentrations of highly unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) in AD/HD children compared to controls (Richardson 2006)). Typically, reductions have been found in DHA and total omega-3 FAs and in the omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA), some of which may persist into adulthood.  

In one study that included both AD/HD and non-AD/HD boys, low omega-3 levels were associated with a range of behavioral and learning problems, irrespective of the clinical diagnosis.(Richardson 2006).  Whereas low blood omega-6 levels tend to correlate with some physical deficiencies, but not with cognitive or behavioural impairments, omega-3 deficiencies correlate with behavioral problems (conduct disorder, hyperactivity, impulsivity, anxiety, temper tantrums, sleep difficulties) and learning difficulties in children. Thus Richardson,in her insightful review, emphasized, “…omega-3 status is likely to be more relevant to AD/HD and related behavioural disorders.”(Richardson 2006)

Clinical evidence from controlled trials, open studies, and case reports has yielded mixed results from DHA/EPA supplementation in AD/HD and its comorbid conditions.

In 2001, a double-blind RCT of omega-3 FAs was conducted on AD/HD children(Voigt, Llorente et al. 2001).The 63 children ages 6-12 years were said to be receiving effective and stable treatment with stimulant medication, so this was an “add-on” study. They received daily adjunctive treatment of 345 mg pure DHA (from algae) or placebo. At the end of the four-month study, no changes were found on behavioral ratings or measures of inattention and impulsivity.

Similar negative findings came from a two-month, double-blind RCT of 40 AD/HD-type children ages 6-12 years in Japan (Voigt, Llorente et al. 2001) Children were randomized to receive either omega-3 fortified foods (providing approximately 510 mg DHA and 100 mg EPA per day) or indistinguishable control foods containing olive oil.

Although no differences emerged on various cognitive tests, combined teacher and parent ratings found a greater reduction of aggression in the DHA group.

references :

Freeman, M. P., J. R. Hibbeln, et al. (2006). "Omega-3 fatty acids: evidence basis for treatment and future research in psychiatry." Journal of Clinical Psychiatry 67(12): 1954-1967.

               

Richardson, A. J. (2006). "Omega-3 fatty acids in ADHD and related neurodevelopmental disorders." International review of psychiatry 18(2): 155-172.

               

Voigt, R. G., A. M. Llorente, et al. (2001). "A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." The Journal of pediatrics 139(2): 189-196.