ADHD and Autism

Phosphatidylserine and ADHD

Doctors are looking for a safer way than standard drugs to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In this study, 36 children, aged 4 to 14, who had never taken drugs for ADHD took a placebo or 200 mg of phosphatidylserine per day.

After two months, compared to placebo, kids in the phosphatidylserine group had much better short-term memory of sounds they had just heard, and recognized and reacted more quickly to visual imagery. Also, symptoms of ADHD decreased seven times as much for phosphatidylserine, short-term memory improved more than 2.5 times, and errors due to inattention decreased 93 percent while increasing 11 percent for placebo, all without side effects.

Reference: Journal of Human Nutrition & Dietetics; April, 2014, 27 Suppl. 2, 284-91

Broccoli sprouts and autism

Broccoli sprouts contain a powerful antioxidant called sulforaphane, which doctors thought might improve behavior in autism. In the study, 40 teens and young adults with moderate to severe autism took a placebo or 9 to 27 mg of sulforaphane per day, based on their body weight.

Doctors began to see improvement at four weeks, which continued through the study period. After 18 weeks, while the placebo group had not improved, for sulforaphane, the aberrant behavior and social responsiveness scores had improved by 34 and 17 percent, respectively. Participants also were less irritable, lethargic, and hyperactive, made fewer repetitive movements, and had greater improvement in verbal communication. Doctors said it would be difficult to achieve adequate sulforaphane levels by eating broccoli, and that improvements trended back to original values after stopping sulforaphane.

Reference: PNAS; October, 2014, Published Online