During my research rotation, I selected an article to critique and present for a department-wide Journal Club. I chose to discuss a study with the aim of determining whether dietary vitamin D, omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA), or both together are effective in reducing the symptoms of irritability and hyperactivity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted at Massey University in New Zealand.
The authors suggest that based on the findings of this study, the use of vitamin D and omega-3 supplements are useful in treating irritability symptoms, and vitamin D is useful for treating hyperactivity symptoms in children with ASD. I found that this secondary objective study presents useful insight into the treatment of problematic ASD symptoms with nutritional supplements rather than pharmaceutical drugs, which may not work for all patients. Limitations included small sample size, unclear rationale for some aspects of the methodology, and lack of defined terminology. Overall, the results were promising and suggestive that further research with a larger sample size is warranted.
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