Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of zinc sulfate in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Zinc Sulfate.

The most commonly used medications for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are the psychostimulants.

There is, however, considerable awareness in alternative, nonstimulant therapies, because some patients respond poorly to stimulants or are unable to tolerate them.

Who Took Part

According to the abstract, 72 girls were involved.

PubMed indexes the participants as children, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

The design is described as randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Zinc Sulfate and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Neither the girls nor the staff measuring them knew who was on Zinc Sulfate, so expectations could not easily colour the readings.

Some girls received a placebo instead of Zinc Sulfate, giving a reference point.

Safety evaluations included monitoring of adverse events, vital signs and clinical laboratory values.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Behavior, Fatty Acids, Nonesterified, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Schools, Surveys and Questionnaires and Zinc.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of Zinc Sulfate in 72 girls.

Its findings take up roughly 6 sentences of the abstract and are left out here on purpose; the source paper is the place to read them.

The publication is from 2004 (Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry), a journal based in England.

More context: all human trials.