Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol®

  • ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
  • Published:
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is the most common psychiatric disorder in children. Pycnogenol®, an extract from the bark of the French maritime pine, consisting of phenolic acids, catechin, taxifolin and procyanidins, has shown improvement of ADHD in case reports and in an open study. Aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Pycnogenol® on ADHD symptoms. Sixty-one children were supplemented with 1 mg/kg/day Pycnogenol® or placebo over a period of 4 weeks in a randomised, placebo-controlled, doubleblind study. Patients were examined at start of trial, 1 month after treatment and 1 month after end of treatment period by standard questionnaires: CAP (Child Attention Problems) teacher rating scale, Conner’s Teacher Rating Scale (CTRS), the Conner’s Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) and a modified Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children. Results show that 1-month Pycnogenol® administration caused a significant reduction of hyperactivity, improves attention and visual–motoric coordination and concentration of children with ADHD. In the placebo group no positive effects were found. One month after termination of Pycnogenol® administration a relapse of symptoms was noted. Our results point to an option to use Pycnogenol as a natural supplement to relieve ADHD symptoms of children.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BMI::

body mass index

CAP::

Child Attention Problems

CPRS::

The Conner’s Parent Rating Scale

CTRS::

The Conner’s Teacher rating Scale

ICD-10::

International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems

PDW::

Prague Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children

WISC::

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for children

References

  1. Barkley RA (1990) Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a handbook for diagnosis and treatment. Guilford Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  2. Biederman J (2005) Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a selective overview. Biol Psychiatry 57:1215–1220

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Buitelaar JK, Danckaerts M, Gillberg C, Zuddas A, Becker K, Bouvard M, Fagan J, Gadoros J, Harpin V, Hazell P, Johnson M, Lerman-Sagie T, Soutullo CA, Wolanczyk T, Zeiner P, Fouche DS, Krikke-Workel J, Zhang S, Michelson D (2004) A prospective, multicenter, open-label assessment of atomoxetine in non-North American children and adolescent with ADHD. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 13:249–257

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Conners CK, Sitarenios G, Oarker JDA, Epstein JN (1998) The revised Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (CPRS-R): factor structure, reliability, and Criterion Validity. J Abnorm Child Psychol 26:257–268

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Dulcan MK, Popper CW (1991) Concise guide to child and adolescent psychiatry. American Psychiatric Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  6. Ďuračková Z, Muchová J, Sivoňová M, Chovanová Z, Hauserová M, Blažíček P, Trebatická J, Rohdewal P (2004) Oxidative stress in pathophysiology of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its influence by a polyphenolic natural extracts, pycnogenol. In: Hoikkala A, Soidinsal O, Wähälä K (eds) XXII International Conference on Polyphenols “Polyphenols communications 2004” Helsinki, Finland, 25–28 August 2004. Jyväskyla, Gummerus Printing, pp 177–178, ISBN 952-10-1977-8

  7. Fitzpatrick DF, Bin B, Rohdewald P (1998) Endothelium-dependent vascular effects of Pycnogenol. J Cardiovasc Pharmacol 32:509–515

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Gillberg C, Gillberg IC, Rasmussen P, Kadesjo B, Soderstrom H, Rasatam M, Johnson M, Rothenberger A, Niklasson L (2004) Co-existing disorders in ADHD – implications for diagnosis and intervention. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 13:180–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Grosse Düweler K, Rohdewald P (2000) Urinary metabolites of French maritime pine bark extract in humans. Pharmazie 55:364–368

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hanley JL (1999) Attention deficit disorder. Impact Communications Inc, Green Bay

    Google Scholar 

  11. Heimann SW (1999) Pycnogenol® for ADHD? J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 38:357–358

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ingram DK, Shimada A, Spangler EL, Ikari H, Hengemihle J, Kuo H, Greig N (1996) Cognitive enhancement. New strategies for stimulating cholinergic, glutamatergic, and nitric oxide systems. Ann NY Acad Sci 786:348–361

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Kaminester DD (1997) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and methylphenidate: when society misunderstands medicine. McGill J Med 3:105–114

    Google Scholar 

  14. Kubička L, Bursik R, Jirásek J (1973) PDW – Prague child Wechsler. Psychodiagnostic and didactic tests, Bratislava (in Slovak)

  15. Liu F, Zhang Y, Lau BHS (1999) Pycnogenol® improves learning impairment and memory deficit in senescence-accelerated mice. J Anti Aging Med 2:349–355

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Malá E (2000) Hyperkinetické poruchy (F90) In: Hort V, Hrdlička M, Kocourková J, Malá E (eds) Dětská a adolescentní psychiatrie. Portál, Praha pp 307–314

    Google Scholar 

  17. Masao H (2000) Pycnogenol®’s therapeutic effect in improving ADHD symptoms in children. Mainichi Shimbun, Oct. 21

  18. Michelson D, Faries D, Wernicke J, Kelsey D, Kendrick K, Sallee FR, Spencer T (2001) Atomoxetine in the treatment of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a randomized, placebo-controlled, dose-response study. Pediatrics 108:E83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Packer L, Rimbach G, Virgili F (1999) Antioxidant activity and biologic properties of a procyanidin-rich extract from pine (Pinus maritima) bark, Pycnogenol. Free Rad Biol Med 27:704–724

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Paclt I, Florian J (1998) Dotazník pro rodiče (CPQ-Conners instrukce). In: Paclt I, Florian J Psychofarmakoterapie dětského a dorostového věku. Praha, Grada Publishing, pp 296–303 (in Slovak)

  21. Passwater RA (1998) All about Pycnogenol®. Avery Publishing Group, New York

    Google Scholar 

  22. Pogun S, Kuhar MJ (1994) Regulation of neurotransmitter reuptake by nitric oxide. Ann NY Acad Sci 738:305–315

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Rohdewald PJ (2005) Pycnogenol®, French maritime pine bark extract In: Coates PM, Blackman MR, Cragg G, Levine M, Moss J, White J (eds) Encyclopedia of dietary supplements. Marcel Dekker, New York, pp 545–553, ISBN 0-8247-5504-9

    Google Scholar 

  24. Schmidt HW, Walter U (1994) NO at work. Cell 78:919–925

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Stanislavov R, Nikolova V (2005) Prelox® Plus testosterone for achieving fertilization in previously infertile men. Eur Bull Drug Res 13: 7–13

    Google Scholar 

  26. Stough C, Ryan J, Croft K (2004) Anti-oxidants to ameliorate normal cognitive deterioration due to age. Presented at the International Conference On Healthy Ageing and Longevity. Sydney, Australia, March 5–7, 2004

  27. Tenenbaum S, Paull JC, Sparrow EC, Dodd DK, Green L (2002) An experimental comparison of Pycnogenol® and methylphenidate in adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). J Atten Disord 6:49–60

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Trebatická J, Škodáček I, Šuba J, Kopasová S, Hradečná Z, Činovský K, Rohdewald P, Ďuračková Z (2004) Treatment success of ADHD by Pycnogenol®. In: Hoikkala A, Soidinsal O, Wähälä K (eds) XXII International Conference on Polyphenols “Polyphenols communications 2004” Helsinki, Finland, 25–28 August 2004. Jyväskyla, Gummerus Printing, pp 179–180, ISBN 952-10-1977-8

  29. Yamada K, Noda Y, Nakayama S, Komori Y, Sugihara H, Hasegawa T, Nabeshima T (1995) Role of nitric oxide in learning and memory and in monoamine metabolism in the rat brain. Br J Pharmacol 115:852–858

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Horphag Res. Ltd. grant, partly by VEGA Grants No. 1/1157/04, 1/3037/06, Grant VV MVTS 03/LF of Ministry of Education of SR, by Drug Research Institute, Modra, SR and Mind&Health, civil association. Authors wish to thank to Assoc. Prof. P. Blažíček, PhD for the biochemical analyses, to Mrs. Ľ’. Chandogová and L. Míková for their technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child Psychiatry, Child University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Limbová 1, 833 40, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Jana Trebatická, Soňa Kopasová, Zuzana Hradečná, Kamil Činovský, Igor Škodáček & Ján Šuba

  2. Institute of Medical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Jana Muchová, Ingrid Žitňanová & Zdeňka Ďuračková

  3. Dept. of Nuclear Physics and Biophysics, Division of Biomedical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Iweta Waczulíková

  4. Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Peter Rohdewald

Authors
  1. Jana Trebatická
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Soňa Kopasová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zuzana Hradečná
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Kamil Činovský
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Igor Škodáček
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ján Šuba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Jana Muchová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Ingrid Žitňanová
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Iweta Waczulíková
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Peter Rohdewald
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  11. Zdeňka Ďuračková
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Trebatická, J., Kopasová, S., Hradečná, Z. et al. Treatment of ADHD with French maritime pine bark extract, Pycnogenol® . Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 15, 329–335 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0538-3

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-006-0538-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation