Review on the Efficacy of Omega-3 in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Pharmacotherapy is considered the first line therapy in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Many patients also choose complementary medicine such as dietary supplements. Omega-3 has shown some efficacy for improving ADHD symptoms in several studies. The goal of this review is to integrate the previous research findings on omega-3 and understand the issues worth considering in the treatment of ADHD. The terms “attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity”, “omega-3”, and “dietary supple-ments” were searched on PubMed, Cochrane, and Google scholar. The search was further limited to clinical trials, reviews, and meta-analyses. Trials that examined treatments for ADHD, used randomized design, and placebo-controlled trials were included. Eighteen clinical trials with a total of 1,141 participants were included in this review. Fifteen trials had parallel designs, comparing an omega-3/6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFAs) or a combination of both to a placebo and three compared omega-3/6 PUFAs to a placebo and psycho-stimulants. Seven of the included trials showed significant improvements in groups receiving omega-3/6 PUFAs compared to placebo groups, however, 11 trials showed no significant differences. Evidence that PUFAs supplementa-tion provides benefits for ADHD was yet limited. Mixed results were due to selection variability criteria, variability of supple-mentation, and short follow-up intervals.