TY - JOUR
T1 - A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 fatty acids in Tourette's disorder
AU - Gabbay, Vilma
AU - Babb, James S.
AU - Klein, Rachel G.
AU - Panzer, Aviva M.
AU - Katz, Yisrael
AU - Alonso, Carmen M.
AU - Petkova, Eva
AU - Wang, Jing
AU - Coffey, Barbara J.
PY - 2012/6
Y1 - 2012/6
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Clinical observations have suggested therapeutic effects for omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in Tourette's disorder (TD), but no randomized, controlled trials have been reported. In a placebo-controlled trial, we examined the efficacy of O3FA in children and adolescents with TD. METHODS: Thirty-three children and adolescents (ages 6-18) with TD were randomly assigned, double-blind, to O3FA or placebo for 20 weeks. O3FA consisted of combined eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Placebo was olive oil. Groups were compared by using (1) intent-to-treat design, with the last-observation- carried-forward controlling for baseline measures and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder via (a) logistic regression, comparing percentage of responders on the primary Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS)-Tic and secondary (YGTSS-Global and YGTSS-Impairment) outcome measures and (b) analysis of covariance; and (2) longitudinal mixed-effects models. RESULTS: At end point, subjects treated with O3FA did not have significantly higher response rates or lower mean scores on the YGTSS-Tic (53% vs 38%; 15.6 ± 1.6 vs 17.1 ± 1.6, P > .1). However, significantly more subjects on O3FA were considered responders on the YGTSS-Global measure (53% vs 31%, P = .05) and YGTSS-Impairment measure (59% vs 25%, P < .05), and mean YGTSS-Global scores were significantly lower in the O3FA-treated group than in the placebo group (31.7 ± 2.9 vs 40.9 ± 3.0, P = .04). Obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were not significantly affected by O3FA. Longitudinal analysis did not yield group differences on any of the measures. CONCLUSIONS: O3FA did not reduce tic scores, but it may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment for some children and adolescents with TD. Limitations include the small sample and the possible therapeutic effects of olive oil.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Clinical observations have suggested therapeutic effects for omega-3 fatty acids (O3FA) in Tourette's disorder (TD), but no randomized, controlled trials have been reported. In a placebo-controlled trial, we examined the efficacy of O3FA in children and adolescents with TD. METHODS: Thirty-three children and adolescents (ages 6-18) with TD were randomly assigned, double-blind, to O3FA or placebo for 20 weeks. O3FA consisted of combined eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Placebo was olive oil. Groups were compared by using (1) intent-to-treat design, with the last-observation- carried-forward controlling for baseline measures and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder via (a) logistic regression, comparing percentage of responders on the primary Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS)-Tic and secondary (YGTSS-Global and YGTSS-Impairment) outcome measures and (b) analysis of covariance; and (2) longitudinal mixed-effects models. RESULTS: At end point, subjects treated with O3FA did not have significantly higher response rates or lower mean scores on the YGTSS-Tic (53% vs 38%; 15.6 ± 1.6 vs 17.1 ± 1.6, P > .1). However, significantly more subjects on O3FA were considered responders on the YGTSS-Global measure (53% vs 31%, P = .05) and YGTSS-Impairment measure (59% vs 25%, P < .05), and mean YGTSS-Global scores were significantly lower in the O3FA-treated group than in the placebo group (31.7 ± 2.9 vs 40.9 ± 3.0, P = .04). Obsessive-compulsive, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were not significantly affected by O3FA. Longitudinal analysis did not yield group differences on any of the measures. CONCLUSIONS: O3FA did not reduce tic scores, but it may be beneficial in reduction of tic-related impairment for some children and adolescents with TD. Limitations include the small sample and the possible therapeutic effects of olive oil.
KW - Double-blind
KW - Obsessive-compulsive disorder
KW - Omega-3 fatty acids
KW - Placebo-controlled
KW - Tourette's disorder
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U2 - 10.1542/peds.2011-3384
DO - 10.1542/peds.2011-3384
M3 - Article
C2 - 22585765
AN - SCOPUS:84861875504
SN - 0031-4005
VL - 129
SP - e1493-e1500
JO - Pediatrics
JF - Pediatrics
IS - 6
ER -