AzTrials
AzTrials

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderNCT03342469

Food Additives Effects on EEG Profiles in College Students With ADHD

A study testing Artificial Food Coloring in people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, run by American University at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
Search all trials

Trial summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of food additives on college students with ADHD. This study could potentially answer an important question which still remains unanswered as to whether certain food additives may be able to cause cognitive and electrical activity changes in college students with and… Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
What is being tested?
Artificial Food Coloring
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
29 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
1 Jan 2018to 15 Oct 2018
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 24 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Generally good health
  • 18-24 years old
  • Currently attending college
  • Physician's diagnosis of ADHD (unless control participant)
  • Stable medication dose and frequency for 3 months before the study
  • Willing to suspend ADHD medication administration on testing day and the day after testing

Who cannot join

  • Presence of comorbid psychiatric condition other than comorbid depression or anxiety
  • Autism
  • Severe asthma requiring past hospitalization
  • Seizure disorder

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • American University

    Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20007

Other trials in United States

About this study

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of food additives on college students with ADHD. This study could potentially answer an important question which still remains unanswered as to whether certain food additives may be able to cause cognitive and electrical activity changes in college students with and without ADHD. In this context, food additives will be artificial food coloring.

Read the detailed description

Consent will be obtained at the first visit. Baseline data will be collected on the participants, including height, weight, computerized cognitive functioning, and an EEG recording. Participants will also be taught how to keep a detailed food and symptom diary over the following week. One week later, the participant will return to the lab and turn in the food/symptom diary. All ADHD participants and a subgroup of controls (called extended controls or EC) will be trained on how to follow the dietary intervention. Detailed information on the diet will be given, including food additives to avoid, healthy foods which should be eaten, and shopping tips. For the next two weeks, the participant will follow the dietary intervention at home with access to Dr. Holton to answer any questions. The participant will return to the lab after following the diet for two weeks and assessments (cognitive testing, and EEG) will be completed again along information on dietary compliance will be collected. The third meeting will also mark the beginning of the first challenge period. For the challenges, the participant will consume chocolate cookies every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday for two weeks. The cookies may or may not contain artificial food coloring depending on the week. Every Wednesday repeat testing will be completed after the cookies are consumed. The participant will be asked not to take ADHD medication on testing days. After two weeks of challenges the study will be completed. The participant will receive information on their performance and on the study results overall.

Being tested
Artificial Food Coloring, Placebo
Keywords
ADHD, Food Additives, Artificial Food Coloring, Diet
Medical subject headings
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Artificial Food ColoringOther

    225mg mixed powdered Artificial Food Coloring (AFC)

  • PlaceboOther

    Placebo chocolate cookies

Study groups in NCT03342469
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
ADHD- Artificial food coloring, then placeboExperimentalParticipants first received 225 mg of the six most common artificial food colors (Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2) mixed in chocolate cookies and consumed consecutively over three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). After a 4-day washout period, they then received placebo of chocolate cookies and consumed them over three days.
Receives: Other: Artificial Food Coloring; Other: Placebo
ADHD - Placebo, then artificial food coloringExperimentalParticipants first received placebo of chocolate cookies and consumed them over three days. After a 4-day washout period, they then received 225 mg of the six most common artificial food colors (Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2) mixed in chocolate cookies and consumed consecutively over three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday).
Receives: Other: Artificial Food Coloring; Other: Placebo
Controls- Artificial food coloring, then placeboExperimentalParticipants first received 225 mg of the six most common artificial food colors (Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2) mixed in chocolate cookies and consumed consecutively over three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). After a 4-day washout period, they then received placebo of chocolate cookies and consumed them over three days.
Receives: Other: Artificial Food Coloring; Other: Placebo
Controls - Placebo, then artificial food coloringExperimentalParticipants first received placebo of chocolate cookies and consumed them over three days. After a 4-day washout period, they then received 225 mg of the six most common artificial food colors (Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, and Blue 2) mixed in chocolate cookies and consumed consecutively over three days (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday).
Receives: Other: Artificial Food Coloring; Other: Placebo

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Mean Power (EEG) During AFC and Placebo Challenge in ADHD and Control Groups

    Electroencephalography (EEG) is an objective measure of brainwave activity that non-invasively records the electrocortical activity emitted from neuronal postsynaptic outputs using small electrodes placed on the head. Quantitative EEG uses techniques to transform electrocortical voltage amplitudes into frequency bands to reflect mental processes in periodicities instead of raw values. These frequency bands can then be compared before/after treatment and/or between groups to better understand how treatment impacts the brain. Resting-state EEG was collected with eyes-closed, but awake, for four minutes

    Frequency bands assessed: delta 1-4Hz, theta 4-7Hz, alpha 8-13Hz, beta 13-30Hz, gamma 30-50Hz Each frequency band was assessed using: mean power (microvolts^2 of a frequency band divided by the length of the frequency band) a

    Measured: Collected after three days exposure to AFC (on third day) and after three day exposure to placebo (on third day)

  2. Relative Power (EEG) During AFC and Placebo Challenge in ADHD and Control Groups

    Electroencephalography (EEG) is an objective measure of brainwave activity that non-invasively records the electrocortical activity emitted from neuronal postsynaptic outputs using small electrodes placed on the head. Quantitative EEG uses techniques to transform electrocortical voltage amplitudes into frequency bands to reflect mental processes in periodicities instead of raw values. These frequency bands can then be compared before/after treatment and/or between groups to better understand how treatment impacts the brain. Resting-state EEG was collected with eyes-closed, but awake, for four minutes

    Frequency bands assessed: delta 1-4Hz, theta 4-7Hz, alpha 8-13Hz, beta 13-30Hz, gamma 30-50Hz Each frequency band was assessed using: relative power (sum of microvolts^2 of a frequency band divided by total power to get a percent)

    Measured: Collected after three days exposure to AFC (on third day) and after three day exposure to placebo (on third day)

  3. ADHD Symptoms During AFC and Placebo Challenge in ADHD and Control Groups

    Name: Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale-V1.1 Construct: Self-report checklist of adult ADHD symptoms to screen for possibility of ADHD. It is not meant to be diagnostic. According to the documentation, "The questions in the ASRS v1.1 are consistent with DSM-IV criteria and address the manifestations of ADHD symptoms in adults." Total Range: 0-72 points - higher score indicates more and/or higher frequency of adult ADHD symptoms

    Sub-scores:

    1. Inattentive: sum of number/frequency of nine questions (taken from full ASRS questionnaire) related to inattention Range: 0-36 - higher score indicates more and/or higher frequency of inattention symptoms
    2. Hyperactive: sum of number/frequency of nine questions (taken from full ASRS questionnaire) related to hyperactivity Range: 0-36 - higher score indicates more and/or higher frequency of hyperactivity symptoms

    Measured: Collected after three days exposure to AFC (on third day) and after three day exposure to placebo (on third day)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Nov 2017
  2. Study start1 Jan 2018
  3. Primary completion15 Oct 2018
  4. Study completion15 Oct 2018

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Crossover
Model description
All ADHD participants and a subgroup of control participants will be exposed to all challenge mixtures (artificial food coloring/placebo, placebo/artificial food coloring) with adequate washout periods between exposures.
Masking
Double blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator
Enrolment
29 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT03342469
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB-2017-151
Status last verified
Sep 2020
First submitted
9 Nov 2017
Last updated
24 Sep 2020
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Artificial Food Coloring in people with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, run by American University at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Sep 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 24 Sep 2020). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Mean Power (EEG) During AFC and Placebo Challenge in ADHD and Control Groups (time frame: Collected after three days exposure to AFC (on third day) and after three day exposure to placebo (on third day)). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Sep 2020.

Free account

Log in to keep searching

You’ve used your 3 free searches. AzTrials is free: log in or create a free account to keep searching clinical trials and save the ones you want to follow.

Create a free accountLog in