Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Autism - A Systematic Review.
Monica Doherty, Kitty-Rose Foley, Janet Schloss
PMID 38972931WHAT IT FOUND
Evidence for biologically based CAM in autism is inconsistent.
Gluten-free and casein-free diets showed no benefit, while vitamin and mineral supplements helped only when deficiencies existed. Some nutraceuticals like probiotics and omega-3s showed mixed or positive effects on specific symptoms.
Key findings
01Gluten-free and casein-free diets did not produce statistically significant improvements in autistic traits, behaviour, or physiological functioning across multiple included studies.
02Vitamin and mineral supplements appeared to be of benefit only if there was an existing deficiency, rather than as a general treatment for autism core symptoms.
03Results for nutraceuticals like omega-3s and probiotics were contradictory, with some studies showing improvements in specific areas like sleep or gastrointestinal symptoms while others found no effect on core autistic presentations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Most included studies focused on children, with only three studies including adults, limiting generalizability to adult populations. Sample sizes were small, study durations were short, and dropout rates were common across the included trials. There was significant heterogeneity in the age of participants and the specific outcomes measured. The literature search was conducted over a year before publication, so newer studies are not included. Few studies used Quality of Life as a primary outcome, making it difficult to assess the real-world impact on participants' lives.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The lead author self-identifies as autistic and is a parent of an autistic child. The research was reviewed by a member of the autistic community prior to submission.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the mixed positive results for specific nutraceuticals like omega-3s or probiotics as evidence that they treat core autism symptoms. The review found contradictory evidence, with many studies showing no improvement in primary outcome measures, and benefits were often limited to co-occurring conditions like gastrointestinal issues or sleep.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →