Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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    Nick Milazzo, Brady Holmer

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    Kamal Patel
    Last Updated: July 4, 2025

    Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by impulsivity, inattention, and hyperactivity. Although often diagnosed in children, it’s nearly as common in adults.

    36 references on this page
    3,013 participants in 23 trials and 3 meta-analyses

    Overview

    Examine Database: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

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    Frequently asked questions

    Examine Database References

    1. ADHD Symptoms - Torrioli MG, Vernacotola S, Peruzzi L, Tabolacci E, Mila M, Militerni R, Musumeci S, Ramos FJ, Frontera M, Sorge G, Marzullo E, Romeo G, Vallee L, Veneselli E, Cocchi E, Garbarino E, Moscato U, Chiurazzi P, D'Iddio S, Calvani M, Neri GA double-blind, parallel, multicenter comparison of L-acetylcarnitine with placebo on the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in fragile X syndrome boysAm J Med Genet A.(2008 Apr 1)
    2. ADHD Symptoms - L Eugene Arnold, Antonino Amato, Hernan Bozzolo, Jill Hollway, Amy Cook, Yaser Ramadan, Lindsay Crowl, Dan Zhang, Susan Thompson, Giussepe Testa, Vernon Kliewer, Timothy Wigal, Keith McBurnett, Michael ManosAcetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a multi-site, placebo-controlled pilot trialJ Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.(2007 Dec)
    3. ADHD Symptoms - Van Oudheusden LJ, Scholte HREfficacy of carnitine in the treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorderProstaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids.(2002 Jul)
    4. ADHD Symptoms - Seyed-Hesameddin Abbasi, Shahram Heidari, Mohammad-Reza Mohammadi, Mina Tabrizi, Ali Ghaleiha, Shahin AkhondzadehAcetyl-L-carnitine as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a placebo-controlled trialChild Psychiatry Hum Dev.(2011 Jun)
    5. ADHD Symptoms - Jane Pei-Chen Chang, Kuan-Pin Su, Valeria Mondelli, Senthil Kumaran Satyanarayanan, Hui-Ting Yang, Yi-Ju Chiang, Hui-Ting Chen, Carmine M ParianteHigh-dose eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) improves attention and vigilance in children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and low endogenous EPA levelsTransl Psychiatry.(2019 Nov 20)
    6. ADHD Symptoms - Richardson AJ, Puri BKA randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficultiesProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry.(2002 Feb)
    7. ADHD Symptoms - Bos DJ, Oranje B, Veerhoek ES, Van Diepen RM, Weusten JM, Demmelmair H, Koletzko B, de Sain-van der Velden MG, Eilander A, Hoeksma M, Durston SReduced Symptoms of Inattention after Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation in Boys with and without Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderNeuropsychopharmacology.(2015 Sep)
    8. ADHD Symptoms - Voigt RG, Llorente AM, Jensen CL, Fraley JK, Berretta MC, Heird WCA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderJ Pediatr.(2001 Aug)
    9. ADHD Symptoms - Gustafsson PA, Birberg-Thornberg U, Duchén K, Landgren M, Malmberg K, Pelling H, Strandvik B, Karlsson TEPA supplementation improves teacher-rated behaviour and oppositional symptoms in children with ADHDActa Paediatr.(2010 Oct)
    10. ADHD Symptoms - Stevens L, Zhang W, Peck L, Kuczek T, Grevstad N, Mahon A, Zentall SS, Arnold LE, Burgess JREFA supplementation in children with inattention, hyperactivity, and other disruptive behaviorsLipids.(2003 Oct)
    11. ADHD Symptoms - Widenhorn-Müller K, Schwanda S, Scholz E, Spitzer M, Bode HEffect of supplementation with long-chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on behavior and cognition in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a randomized placebo-controlled intervention trialProstaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids.(2014 Jul-Aug)
    12. ADHD Symptoms - Bloch MH, Qawasmi AOmega-3 fatty acid supplementation for the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptomatology: systematic review and meta-analysisJ Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.(2011 Oct)
    13. ADHD Symptoms - Sinn N, Bryan JEffect of supplementation with polyunsaturated fatty acids and micronutrients on learning and behavior problems associated with child ADHDJ Dev Behav Pediatr.(2007 Apr)
    14. ADHD Symptoms - Bélanger SA, Vanasse M, Spahis S, Sylvestre MP, Lippé S, L'heureux F, Ghadirian P, Vanasse CM, Levy EOmega-3 fatty acid treatment of children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studyPaediatr Child Health.(2009 Feb)
    15. ADHD Symptoms - Alisha Bruton, Joy Nauman, Douglas Hanes, Melissa Gard, Angela SendersPhosphatidylserine for the Treatment of Pediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisJ Altern Complement Med.(2021 Feb 4)
    16. ADHD Symptoms - Arnold LE, Disilvestro RA, Bozzolo D, Bozzolo H, Crowl L, Fernandez S, Ramadan Y, Thompson S, Mo X, Abdel-Rasoul M, Joseph EZinc for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: placebo-controlled double-blind pilot trial alone and combined with amphetamineJ Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.(2011 Feb)
    17. ADHD Symptoms - Talebi S, Miraghajani M, Ghavami A, Mohammadi HThe effect of zinc supplementation in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and dose-response meta‑analysis of randomized clinical trials.Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr.(2022)
    18. ADHD Symptoms - Ruth E Cooper, Emma Williams, Seth Seegobin, Charlotte Tye, Jonna Kuntsi, Philip AshersonCannabinoids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A randomised-controlled trialEur Neuropsychopharmacol.(2017 Aug)
    19. ADHD Symptoms - Sara Baziar, Ali Aqamolaei, Ebrahim Khadem, Seyyed Hosein Mortazavi, Sina Naderi, Erfan Sahebolzamani, Amirhosein Mortezaei, Shakiba Jalilevand, Mohammad-Reza Mohammadi, Mahsa Shahmirzadi, Shahin AkhondzadehCrocus sativus L. Versus Methylphenidate in Treatment of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind Pilot StudyJ Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.(2019 Apr)
    20. ADHD Symptoms - Hae-Jin Ko, Inbo Kim, Jong-Bae Kim, Yong Moon, Min-Cheol Whang, Keun-Mi Lee, Seung-Pil JungEffects of Korean red ginseng extract on behavior in children with symptoms of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trialJ Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol.(2014 Nov)
    21. ADHD Symptoms - Salehi B, Imani R, Mohammadi MR, Fallah J, Mohammadi M, Ghanizadeh A, Tasviechi AA, Vossoughi A, Rezazadeh SA, Akhondzadeh SGinkgo biloba for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents: a double blind, randomized controlled trialProg Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry.(2010 Feb 1)
    22. ADHD Symptoms - Surman C, Vaudreuil C, Boland H, Rhodewalt L, DiSalvo M, Biederman JL-Threonic Acid Magnesium Salt Supplementation in ADHD: An Open-Label Pilot Study.J Diet Suppl.(2021)
    23. ADHD Symptoms - Zhang SY, Pan MR, Zhang LQ, Li HM, Zhao MJ, Dong M, Si FF, Liu L, Wang YF, Qian QJEfficacy of internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy for medicated adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): A randomized controlled trial.Psychiatry Res.(2025 Feb)
    24. ADHD Symptoms - Li Y, He YC, Wang Y, He JW, Li MY, Wang WQ, Wu ZH, Xu YJ, He WN, Dou YL, Wang DL, Yan WL, Zhu DQEffects of Qigong vs. routine physical exercise in school-aged children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: a randomized controlled trial.World J Pediatr.(2025 Mar 10)
    25. Attention - Susan Kennel, Ann Gill Taylor, Debra Lyon, Cheryl BourguignonPilot feasibility study of binaural auditory beats for reducing symptoms of inattention in children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderJ Pediatr Nurs.(2010 Feb)
    26. Sleep Quality - Lyon MR, Kapoor MP, Juneja LRThe effects of L-theanine (Suntheanine®) on objective sleep quality in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trialAltern Med Rev.(2011 Dec)