Attention deficit disorder, officially known as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and other childhood development disorders increased in the U.S. from 12.84 to 15.04 percent during the course of the past 12 years, according to the American Psychiatric Association. A May 2011 article published online by "Medical News Today" reported the increase. Although FDA-approved medications and behavioral treatments are available, the success rates are variable and acetyl-L-carnitine is one of many alternatives being considered on theoretical grounds. It's important to consult with your doctor before deciding to try supplementation for your child.
ADHD Types
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there are three types of ADHD: predominately hyperactive-impulsive, predominantly inattentive and combined hyperactive-impulsive/inattentive. The names are descriptive of the behaviors characterizing the respective types. Predominately inattentive is the least disruptive disorder and children with this subtype are less likely to act out or have problems getting along with other children. This can be unfortunate if it makes it difficult for you and your child's teacher to notice this form of ADHD. Acetyl-L-carnitine seems to produce different effects in the different types, making it important to tailor supplementation therapies accordingly.
Actyl-L-Carnitine
Researchers reporting in the December 2007 issue of the "Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology" explained that acetyl-L-carnitine (ALC) is a metabolite necessary for brain metabolism and energy production. ALC stimulates communications and prompts energy production in your child's central nervous system. It is also suspected that ALC has an impact on several neurotransmitter pathways. In animal experiments, ALC was demonstrated to carry electrical signals across the gap between neurons known as synapses. Researchers hypothesized that supplementing ALC will help resolve some of the energy and communications problems pinpointed in the brain as contributing to ADHD.
Inattentive Type Benefits
Do any of the ADHD types seem to describe your child's behavior? The researchers above enrolled 112 ADHD children representative of all three types and randomly assigned them to receive either ALC or placebo for 16 weeks. The dosages were scaled to match each child's weight and ranged from 500 to 1,500 mg. Participants were assessed by parent- and teacher-rated scales at baseline, eight weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. The supplementation produced conflicting results. There was improvement recorded in the children diagnosed with inattentive type of ADHD, although there was a slight exacerbation of symptoms in the combined type.
Adjunct Therapy
If your child is on ADHD medication, chances are she is taking stimulants. Stimulants force electrical signals to cross neuronal synapses in humans the same way that ALC works in animal experiments. However, stimulants fail up to 30 percent of the time, so researchers supplemented ALC to ADHD children taking prescription stimulants hoping to improve results. They enrolled 40 children between 7 and 13 years old and dosed them according to weight, between 500 and 1,500 mg, for six weeks. However no improvement was recorded and results did not support using ALC as an adjunctive therapy.
References
- "Medical News Today"; Childhood Developmental Disability Rate Rose From 12.84% to 15.04% in 12 Years in USA; Christian Nordqvist; May 23, 2011
- National Institute of Mental Health: ADHD
- "Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology"; Acetyl-L-Carnitine in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Multi-Site, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Trial; Eugene Arnold et al.; December 2007
- "Child Psychiatry and Human Development"; Acetyl-L-Carnitine as an Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adolescents: a Placebo-controlled Trial; Seyed Abbasi et al.; June 2011
