The purpose of the trial is to look at the effects that a naturally occurring combination omega 3s has on kids who have symptoms of ADHD, whether formally diagnosed or not. Omega-3 fatty acids are lipids found in the cell membranes, mostly in the human nervous system. Since our bodies are unable to synthesise these fatty acids, we can only obtain them through diet, but the "typical" western diet is rather deficient in them. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential in maintaining proper tissue level throughout our bodies, including our heart and brain and they have been used for sometime to help manage arthritic complaints. Numerous studies have been done on omega 3s and they have been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of ADHD also.
The formula being used in the study are extracted from the New Zealand green lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus). They are made up of several compounds, triglycerides (forming the biggest portion), free fatty acids, phospholipids and sterols. The fatty acids in them are mostly polyunsaturated, the majority being omega-3, but they also contain omega-6 fatty acids. It is hoped that this naturally occurring combination will reduce the symptoms of ADHD.
I'm really interested to see if they make any difference in our lives. Of course there will be 2 test groups, one will be on the supplement and the other group will be on a placebo and we won't know which group we are in until the end of the trial. I guess we'll be able to work out which group we're in if we notice an improvement in my son but if we notice nothing, we'll really be none the wiser. At the end of the trial we will be given a 4 month supply of the treatment which will be fantastic. If we notice an improvement, we'll certainly be staying on them!
I'll keep you all updated as we progress through the trial.
Wednesday March 28th
Today we went into Swinburne for the first testing session. I was a little unsure of what to do about sending my son to school. Our appointment was at 12 noon so he really needed to go to school, but whether or not to give him his Ritalin was my dilemma. In the end I decided that it would be a waste of time sending him to school unmedicated and it would be unfair on the rest of the class as the poor kid can't function in a learning environment without it . Besides, it would be out of his system by 11 am and as long as his teacher didn't give him another tablet at recess, he would be clear of the drug for testing purposes.
There's not much to tell really. He did a few computer tests to see what his memory is like and then they hooked him up to an EEG to look at his brain function. This was quite novel for my son as they put a "space hat" on his head and inserted gel through a heap of little holes where the electrodes touch the scalp. To start with, they recorded his brainwaves as he sat "still" for 5 minutes with his eyes open then for 5 minutes with his eyes shut. Hahaha, the poor kid really struggled with that and was only able to sit still for about 30 seconds. It was a bit like that age old issue on car trips, "Are we there yet?". He was continually saying, "Is time up yet?" After this "torture" was over, he then had to play a couple of games so they could record his response times and concentration levels. It was really interesting to watch the computer screen that was recording his brain waves. I had absolutely no idea what it all meant but it was rather trippy to see my son's brain activity on a screen in front of me.
He has to take 3 tablets every day and we don't need to go back to the university for another 8 weeks but in the meantime there are things we need to do at home. One of them is a food diary, which will be pretty easy for us as his diet is so strictly controlled due to his intolerances, and I have to fill out a CPRS (Connors Parent Rating Scale). There are also 2 questionnaires he has to fill out, the Brunel Mood Scales. It will be very interesting to see if there are any noticeable changes over the coming weeks.
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