ADHD, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
This study investigates the psychophysiological responses to aversive stimuli in a population of 133 children clinically diagnosed with conduct disorder (CD) and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants were administered with either omega-3 or placebo for a period of 6 months and were exposed to three stimuli every three months: 1) a loud sound, 2) threatening photographs from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS), and 3) the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST). Participants' psychophysiological features of heart rate and galvanic skin conductance were measured and analyzed in relation to their omega-3/placebo condition clinical diagnosis.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTOmega-3
Omega-3 supplement is a highly concentrated fish oil brain booster supplement that helps compensate for the neurocognitive and brain dysfunction which acts as a predisposition to antisocial and violent behaviour. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder have been found to show an 11% reduction in gray matter in the prefrontal cortex (Raine et al. 2001), and structural prefrontal impairments are hypothesised to result in disinhibition of limbic subcortical structures that give rise to aggressive behaviour. Omega-3 (specifically DHA) is known to play a key role in neuronal structure and function.
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPlacebo Capsules
Children in this group will be given two placebo capsules twice daily; at breakfast and at the evening meal for a total period of 6 months.
Sponsors
Yale-NUS College
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Subjects between ages 7 and 16 years 2. Subjects who fulfil all criteria for a DSM-IV diagnosis of ADHD, conduct disorder, or oppositional defiant disorder 3. Subjects with willingness to participate in a randomized, double-blind controlled trial 4. Subjects with complete written, informed parental consent and child assent 5. Subjects with IQ of 70 or more
Exclusion criteria
1. Subjects who have IQ in the below 70 2. Subjects who are younger than 7 years old or older than 16 years old 3. Those without written parental consent 4. Those with brain pathology such as serious head injury, epilepsy, etc.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from Baseline Heart Rate at 6 months | 7 minutes each at 0 months and 6 months | For Trier Social Stress Task |
| Change from Baseline Skin Conductance Response at 6 months | 4 minutes each at 0 months and 6 months | For loud sound |
Outcome results
None listed