Non-pharmacological treatments in childhood show lesser efficacy than ADHD drugs on core symptoms; only free fatty acid supplementation and exclusion of artificial food colour reached significance, with relatively small effects¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2018 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Non-pharmacological treatments in childhood have demonstrated lesser efficacy in reducing ADHD core symptoms than ADHD drugs, but may benefit co-occurring comorbidities and behavioural problems. → Franke 2018 q2 i? In a rigorous meta-analysis, only free fatty acid supplementation and exclusion of artificial food colour from the diet demonstrated significant beneficial effects on ADHD core symptoms during childhood, and the effects were relatively small. → Franke 2018 (2)

Evidence¶

Franke 2018¶

Franke, B.; Michelini, G.; Asherson, P.; Banaschewski, T.; Bilbow, A.; Buitelaar, J.K.; Cormand, B.; Faraone, S.V; Ginsberg, Y.; Haavik, J.; Kuntsi, J.; Larsson, H.; Lesch, K.P.; Ramos-Quiroga, J.A.; Réthelyi, J.M.; Ribases, M.; Reif, A. (2018). Live fast, die young? A review on the developmental trajectories of ADHD across the lifespan. European Neuropsychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.001

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative review treatment section, citing Sonuga-Barke et al. (2013). The review reports non-pharmacological childhood treatments "have demonstrated lesser efficacy in reducing ADHD core symptoms than ADHD drugs" while possibly benefiting comorbidities and behavioural problems. Comparative statement; no effect size in the quoted sentence.

"Thus far, non-pharmacological treatments in childhood have demonstrated lesser efficacy in reducing ADHD core symptoms than ADHD drugs ( Sonuga- Barke et al., 2013 ), but may have important benefits for co-occurring comorbidities and behavioural problems."

Franke 2018 (2)¶

Franke, B.; Michelini, G.; Asherson, P.; Banaschewski, T.; Bilbow, A.; Buitelaar, J.K.; Cormand, B.; Faraone, S.V; Ginsberg, Y.; Haavik, J.; Kuntsi, J.; Larsson, H.; Lesch, K.P.; Ramos-Quiroga, J.A.; Réthelyi, J.M.; Ribases, M.; Reif, A. (2018). Live fast, die young? A review on the developmental trajectories of ADHD across the lifespan. European Neuropsychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.08.001

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports, citing a rigorous meta-analysis (Sonuga-Barke et al., 2013), that "only free fatty acid supplementation and exclusion of artificial food colour from the diet demonstrated sig- nificant beneficial effects" on childhood ADHD core symptoms, with "relatively small" effects. No effect sizes printed.

"In fact, only free fatty acid supplementation and exclusion of artificial food colour from the diet demonstrated sig- nificant beneficial effects on ADHD core symptoms during childhood in a rigorous meta-analysis, although the effects were relatively small"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• A third systematic review concluded ADHD medication reduced symptoms and impairments but found limited and inconsistent evidence for long-term medication effects on social functioning, academic achievement, employment status, and psychiatric comorbidity