Zinc as Adjunct Therapy May Improve ADHD 37147

Zinc as Adjunct Therapy May Improve ADHD

TEHRAN, IranZinc supplementation may help improve attention deficithyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children when administered alongsideconventional stimulant treatmentsuch as methylphenidate (Ritalin)according to researchers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences (BMCPsychiatry, 4:9, 2004) (www.biomedcentral.com/bmcpsychiatr).It is the first clinical trial to assess the effects of zinc alongsideconventional medication, according to the researchers.

The study involved 44 children between the ages of 5 and 11 diagnosed withADHD. The subjects received a combination of methylphenidate (1 mg/kg/d) andzinc sulfate (55 mg/d), or methylphenidate (1 mg/kg/d) and placebo for sixweeks. ADHD symptoms were assessed at the start of the study and every two weeksafter supplementation began.

ADHD symptoms and behavior improved in both treatment groups; however, ADHDsymptoms and behavior improved significantly more in children taking zinc plusconventional medication compared to children taking conventional medication andplacebo. Researchers did note, however, children taking zinc reported more sideeffects, including nausea and abdominal pain.