الفهرس 
Historical reviewOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder (Wang et al., 2011).
Reports on the prevalence of ADHD/HKD have varied from 0.5% to 16%. It accounts for most mental health referrals of children (Aguiar et al., 2010) (Bange, 2011).
Traits of inattention, impulsivity, and motor hyperactivity characterize children diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), whose inhibitory control is reduced (Adriani et al., 2011).
There is a high level of comorbidity with developmental and learning problems as well as with a variety of psychiatric disorders. ADHD is highly heritable, although there is no single causal risk factor and non-inherited factors also contribute to its aetiology. The genetic and environmental risk factors that have been implicated appear to be associated with a range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric outcomes, not just ADHD (Thapar et al., 2011).
Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is not restricted to children. Abundant evidence from follow-up studies accumulated since the 1970s supports the concept of ADHD in adulthood. Genetic research points to a heritability of 76%, and neuroimaging studies have reported structural and functional brain abnormalities in patients with ADHD. Contrary to popular belief, ADHD is not a culturally bound disorder and has been described worldwide (Bolea et al., 2011).
ADHD significantly affects the quality of life (QoL) of patients and their families (Becke et al., 2011).
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has increased, especially for developmental and behavioral disorders, such as ADHD. CAM is used by 60-65% of parents of children with ADHD to relieve ADHD-associated symptoms and to avoid the side effects of conventional medication (Hong and Cho, 2011).
In such vulnerable populations high quality evidence is required to support nutritional interventions for ADHD using a systematic search of clinical trials meeting an acceptable standard of evidence (Sarris et al., 2011).
ADHD has been related to many factors such as diet, like some allergies to additives, toxicity to heavy metals and other toxic substances from the environment, due to low protein diets with a high carbohydrate content, unbalanced minerals, essential fatty acids and phospholipid deficit, amino acid deficits, thyroid disorders, and vitamin B complex disorders and phytochemicals. The way our lifestyle has changed in general and the diet in particular nowadays is being considered as a hypothesis for many disorders and health problems (Quintero et al., 2009).
Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, (severe magnesium deficiency can result in hypocalcemia and hypokalemia), seizures (sudden changes in behavior caused by excessive electrical activity in the brain), personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur (Huss et al., 2010).
In the current study, we assessed the effect of Magnesium supplementation in patients with ADHD compared to a control group given ‘standard medical therapy’ without Magnesium over a period of 8 weeks.
We conducted this study on 25 patients with ADHD and 10 Controls as much as possible matched with the ADHD group as regards age and gender.
We found that72% of the cases (N=18), show low hair Magnesium levels (group B), then the Magnesium deficient patients were then randomly assigned into two groups; Group B1: 50% (N=9) will receive Magnesium supplementation in a dose of 200 mg/day over a period of 8 weeks in addition to their standard medical treatment and Group B2:50% (N=9) will receive their standard medical treatment without Magnesium.
All the studied patients were subjected to psychiatric evaluation, laboratory tests as Serum Magnesium and Hair Magnesium and further evaluation was done by:
Wisconson’s card sorting test.
Conner’s parent rating scale for detection of severity of ADHD
IQ assessment using the Arabic version of Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC).
Follow up was done by repeating Wisconson’s card sorting test, Conners parent rating scale as done in a previous research (Mousain-Bosc et al., 2004).
In the current study, there was no significant difference between the cases and controls as regards the personal characteristics as sex or age; but there was a significant difference between the cases and controls as regards hair Magnesium level.
There was a significant difference between cases with normal and cases with low hair Magnesium level as regards sex; where Magnesium deficiency was common in males than in females.
Also, there was a significant correlation between hair Magnesium and total IQ, and an indirect significant correlation between hair Magnesium and hyperactivity score.
After follow up for 8 weeks; both groups were reassessed by conner’s test and wisconson’s card sorting test; which revealed a significant difference before and after treatment, among treated patients (group B1), and no significant difference among the un supplemented patients (group B2).
The current study also shows that a significant difference appeared between the two groups; regarding the scores of different psychiatric scales before and after supplementation.
But despite the general improvement of the scores in (group B1), this improvement was significant enough to shift the patient from one category of the rating scale to another one; only in Change in inattention and Change in hyperac0tivity; otherwise no significance.