Trial reportPloS one2012
Docosahexaenoic acid for reading, cognition and behavior in children aged 7-9 years: a randomized, controlled trial (the DOLAB Study).
Trial report in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01066182 (A Randomised Controlled Trial of DHA), which is not on this map. Cited by 60 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Randomised Controlled Trial of DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)for Learning and Behaviour in Children Aged 7 - 9 Years
Who cites it
60 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 164 citations in OpenAlex.
- Research Review: Omega-3 supplementation to reduce antisocial behavior - a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines · 2026Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Psychobiotic Interventions in Children and Adolescents to Enhance Cognitive Functioning and Emotional Behavior.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Omega-3 fatty acid and ADHD: blood level analysis and meta-analytic extension of supplementation trials.Clinical psychology review · 2014Pooled it
- Trial
- No effect of 6-month supplementation with 300 mg/d docosahexaenoic acid on executive functions among healthy school-aged children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.European journal of nutrition · 2021Trial
- The effect of omega-3 fatty acids supplementation on social and behavioral disorders of children with autism: a randomized clinical trial.Pediatric endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism · 2021Trial
- Trial
- The effects of acute wild blueberry supplementation on the cognition of 7-10-year-old schoolchildren.European journal of nutrition · 2019Trial
- Еffects of fortified milk on cognitive abilities in school-aged children: results from a randomized-controlled trial.European journal of nutrition · 2019Trial
- Trial
- Omega-3 fatty acids does not affect physical activity and body weight in primary school children - a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2018Trial
- A double-blind placebo-controlled randomised trial of omega-3 supplementation in children with moderate ADHD symptoms.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2018Trial
- ω-3 and ω-6 Fatty Acid Supplementation May Reduce Autism Symptoms Based on Parent Report in Preterm Toddlers.The Journal of nutrition · 2018Trial
- Trial
- Differences in the effects of school meals on children's cognitive performance according to gender, household education and baseline reading skills.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Association between Blood Omega-3 Index and Cognition in Typically Developing Dutch Adolescents.Nutrients · 2016Trial
- Biochemical and Psychological Effects of Omega-3/6 Supplements in Male Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Trial.Journal of child and adolescent psychopharmacology · 2015Trial
- Omega-3 supplementation during the first 5 years of life and later academic performance: a randomised controlled trial.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2015Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOmega-3 fatty acids are dietary essentials, and the current low intakes in most modern developed countries are believed to contribute to a wide variety of physical and mental health problems. Evidence from clinical trials indicates that dietary supplementation with long-chain omega-3 may improve child behavior and learning, although most previous trials have involved children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Here we investigated whether such benefits might extend to the general child population.
objectivesTo determine the effects of dietary supplementation with the long-chain omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the reading, working memory, and behavior of healthy schoolchildren.
designParallel group, fixed-dose, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (RCT).
settingMainstream primary schools in Oxfordshire, UK (n = 74).
participantsHealthy children aged 7-9 years initially underperforming in reading (≤ 33(rd) centile). 1376 invited, 362 met study criteria.
intervention600 mg/day DHA (from algal oil), or taste/color matched corn/soybean oil placebo.
main outcome measuresAge-standardized measures of reading, working memory, and parent- and teacher-rated behavior.
resultsITT analyses showed no effect of DHA on reading in the full sample, but significant effects in the pre-planned subgroup of 224 children whose initial reading performance was ≤ 20(th) centile (the target population in our original study design). Parent-rated behavior problems (ADHD-type symptoms) were significantly reduced by active treatment, but little or no effects were seen for either teacher-rated behaviour or working memory.
conclusionsDHA supplementation appears to offer a safe and effective way to improve reading and behavior in healthy but underperforming children from mainstream schools. Replication studies are clearly warranted, as such children are known to be at risk of low educational and occupational outcomes in later life.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01066182 and Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN99771026.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.