Sulforaphane Treatment in Children with Autism: A Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Study.

Researchers tested whether sulforaphane (a natural compound found in broccoli and similar vegetables) could help reduce autism symptoms in young children. They gave 40 children aged 3-7 either sulforaphane or a placebo for 36 weeks and measured autism behaviors using standard tests. While both groups showed some improvement, there was no significant difference between the sulforaphane and placebo groups. The study found that sulforaphane did not provide meaningful benefits for autism symptoms in this age group.

This prospective randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study examined sulforaphane supplementation in 40 children with autism aged 3-7 years over 36 weeks. Sulforaphane is a compound found in cruciferous vegetables that previous research suggested might help with autistic behaviors. The study used standardized autism assessment tools (ADOS-2, SRS-2, ABC) to measure changes at baseline, 18 weeks, and 36 weeks. While mean scores improved in both treatment and placebo groups on some measures, none of the changes reached statistical significance.

The study found no significant clinical improvement in behavioral outcomes for children with ASD treated with sulforaphane compared to placebo.

This well-designed RCT does not support the use of sulforaphane for treating autism symptoms in children aged 3-7 years. Families considering sulforaphane supplementation should be informed that evidence does not demonstrate clinical benefits over placebo for core autism behaviors in this age group.

High dropout rate (28 of 40 completed), relatively small sample size, and 36-week duration may have been insufficient to detect effects. The abstract does not report baseline characteristics or detailed statistical analyses.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with repetitive behaviour which affects interaction and communication. Sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate abundant in the seeds and sprouts of cruciferous vegetables, has been shown to be effective in alleviating autistic behaviour. We performed a prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study to examine the possible effect of SFN in a paediatric cohort aged three to seven years based on measurements of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2), the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (SRS-2), and the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC). The study consisted of three visits over the duration of 36 weeks (baseline, 18 weeks, and 36 weeks).

Twenty-eight of the 40 randomized children completed the study. The mean total raw scores on ABC and SRS-2 improved in both groups, but none of the changes reached statistical significance (ABC: 0 weeks= 0.2742, 18 weeks= 0.4352, and 36 weeks 0.576; SRS-2: 0 weeks= 0.5235, 18 weeks= 0.9176, and 36 weeks 0.7435). Changes in the assessment of the ADOS-2 subscale scores also did not differ between the two study cohorts (ADOS-2: 0 weeks= 0.8782, 18 weeks= 0.4788, and 36 weeks 0.9414). We found no significant clinical improvement in the behavioural outcome measures evaluated in children with ASD aged 3-7 years that were treated with sulforaphane.