Abstract
Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental disorder in children. Studies suggest an association between fatty acids composition and ADHD pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate whether children diagnosed with ADHD present unique fatty acid profiles in red blood cells (RBC), as compared to children without ADHD.Method: We examined 60 children aged 6–14 years, out of which 32 were diagnosed with ADHD, and 28 were not. Blood was collected from all children to quantify an array of 26 fatty acids from RBC membranes. Fatty acid methyl esters were generated by acid transesterification and analyzed by gas chromatography.Results: We found that children with ADHD presented unique fatty acid profiles on RBC membranes with significantly higher levels of most of the trans-fatty acids (Total trans-fatty acids 0.64 ± 0.21 vs. 0.49 ± 0.18 p = 0.003) and lower levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), as compared to controls (4.06 ± 0.79 vs. 4.68 ± 1.37 p = 0.040). Additionally, total trans-fatty acids were higher in children with extremely severe clinical ADHD condition score, as compared to milder ADHD scores and to control children (0.72 ± 0.18, 0.64 ± 0.20, 0.61 ± 0.22, 0.49 ± 0.18, p = 0.010, accordingly).Conclusion: Children with ADHD have higher levels of trans-fatty acids in RBCs, compared to children without ADHD. This study points to a possible link between trans-fatty acids and ADHD. Understanding these findings and the clinical meaning will potentially contribute to a more targeted dietary intervention.
Highlights
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental disorder in school aged children [1]
Our study aimed to evaluate the association between the red blood cells (RBC) fatty acid profile and ADHD symptomatology, as measured in a sample of Israeli children with vs. without ADHD
We found that levels of the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) component of the omega3 index, the main omega-3 in the central nervous system (CNS), were lower in the ADHD group, compared to the control group without ADHD
Summary
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental disorder in school aged children [1]. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a multifactorial disorder, the cause not precisely known, and its etiology is complex, involving both neurobiological and environmental influence [3]. Nutrition is one of the environmental factors possibly involved in ADHD pathogenesis [4]. The exact role of nutrition is unclear, and ADHD therapy is not associated with a particular diet [5]. ADHD symptoms have been associated and were shown to predict poorer diet quality [6]. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common developmental disorder in children. Studies suggest an association between fatty acids composition and ADHD pathogenesis. We aimed to investigate whether children diagnosed with ADHD present unique fatty acid profiles in red blood cells (RBC), as compared to children without ADHD
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