1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-8-05-a 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-8-1-8 Attention Deficit and Cognitive Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Aspartame, Behavior, and Cognition in ADD http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 01 1994 01 06 2016 8 1 5 5 Copyright: © 1994 The Author(s) 1994 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Aspartame, behavior, and cognitive function in children with attention deficit disorder

The effects of aspartame (34 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks) on the cognition, behavior, and monoamine metabolism of 15 children with a history of ADD were evaluated at the Yale University School of Medicine, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study design.

 Aspartame Conners Behavior Ratings Phenylalanine

The effects of aspartame (34 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks) on the cognition, behavior, and monoamine metabolism of 15 children with a history of ADD were evaluated at the Yale University School of Medicine, using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study design. Various measures including Conners Behavior ratings, Children’s Checking Task, Airplane Test, and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test revealed no significant differences between aspartame and placebo. The Multigrade Inventory for Teachers showed a significant increase in activity level following aspartame treatments. Phenylalanine and tyrosine levels in plasma were significantly elevated at 1 and 2 hours after aspartame ingestion. [1]

COMMENT. The authors conclude from this study of 15 ADD children receiving single morning doses before school for 2 weeks that aspartame has no clinically significant effect on behavior and cognition, and does not affect urinary excretion rates of monoamines and metabolites. Studies of aspartame in children with neuropsychiatric problems are limited, but one well controlled evaluation in 10 children with absence seizures has shown that aspartame exacerbates EEG spike-wave discharges [2]. The ingestion of aspartame in children with seizures should be limited or avoided until effects on seizure control are investigated further.(Ped Neur Briefs June 1992;6:46-47). Migraine has been exacerbated by aspartame in controlled studies of adult patients.

 Shaywitz BA Sullivan CM Anderson GM Gillespie SM Sullivan B Shaywitz SE Aspartame, behavior, and cognitive function in children with attention deficit disorder Pediatrics 1994 Jan 93 1 70 75 7505423 Camfield PR Camfield CS Dooley JM Gordon K Jollymore S Weaver DF Aspartame exacerbates EEG spike-wave discharge in children with generalized absence epilepsy: a double-blind controlled study Neurology 1992 May 42 5 1000 1003 10.1212/WNL.42.5.1000 1579221