While there are some mechanistic reasons to think that phosphatidylserine (PS) might benefit children with ADHD, the evidence for its effectiveness is weak.
PS, which is an important component of cell membranes, belongs to a class of organic compounds called phospholipids. Children with ADHD may have lower serum levels of phospholipids[1] and lower levels of phospholipids in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex regions of the brain.[2] Stimulant medications to treat ADHD work on some of these regions of the brain,[3] suggesting a possible connection between phospholipids and ADHD medication and thus a possible, if tenuous, mechanism by which PS supplementation could benefit ADHD.
However, there is little evidence that PS is actually effective for childhood ADHD. A 2021 meta-analysis of 3 randomized controlled trials found that 200–300 mg/day of PS improved the subdomain of inattention, but not the subdomain of hyperactivity-impulsivity or overall ADHD symptom scores, in children with ADHD. However, each of these 3 findings were of borderline statistical significance, and two of the three PS supplements also contained omega-3 fatty acids. Furthermore, all three of the trials were ranked as having a substantial risk of bias and being of low or very low quality.[4]
References
- ^Schohraya Spahis, Michel Vanasse, Stacey A Bélanger, Parviz Ghadirian, Emilie Grenier, Emile LevyLipid profile, fatty acid composition and pro- and anti-oxidant status in pediatric patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorderProstaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids.(Jul-Aug 2008)
- ^Jeffrey A Stanley, Heidi Kipp, Erika Greisenegger, Frank P MacMaster, K Panchalingam, Jay W Pettegrew, Matcheri S Keshavan, Oscar G BuksteinRegionally specific alterations in membrane phospholipids in children with ADHD: An in vivo 31P spectroscopy studyPsychiatry Res.(2006 Dec 1)
- ^Suzanne M Czerniak, Elif M Sikoglu, Jean A King, David N Kennedy, Eric Mick, Jean Frazier, Constance M MooreAreas of the brain modulated by single-dose methylphenidate treatment in youth with ADHD during task-based fMRI: a systematic reviewHarv Rev Psychiatry.(2013 May-Jun)
- ^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)