Fatty Acid Supplementation in Children With ASD (Omega Heroes)

July 30, 2021 updated by: Sarah Keim

Fatty Acid Supplements Alter Biological Signatures in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

The purpose of this study is to examine how fatty acid supplementation alters biological signatures in children with ASD

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) suffer from both mental and physical symptoms that affect their quality of life and severely disrupt family well-being. Fatty acid supplements are natural products with anti-inflammatory properties often used for treatment of ASD symptoms, but their efficacy remains unproven. The objective of the proposed protocol is to quantify the impact of Omega 3-6 on pre-specified biological signatures. The hypotheses were formulated based on data from the investigators previous studies and other published data which suggest that the inflammatory markers, IL-1β, IL-2, and IFNγ are consistently elevated in children with ASD and decreases in these markers correlate with ASD symptom improvement. The investigators long-term goal is to identify effective treatments for ASD.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
72

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43205
        • Nationwide Children's Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

2 years to 6 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 2-6 years old
  • ASD diagnosis at Nationwide Children's Hospital within the prior 6 months
  • ADOS-2 score in "autism" (severe) range
  • English is primary language

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Fatty acid supplementation in the past 6 months
  • Consumes fatty fish more than 3 times per week
  • Still breastfeeding or formula feeding
  • Quadriparesis
  • Deafness
  • Blindness
  • Seizure disorder diagnosis
  • Autoimmune disorder including Type 1 Diabetes, Fragile X, Rett, Angleman Syndromes, Tuberous Schlerosis
  • Feeding problems precluding consumption of the supplement
  • Ingredient allergy (canola, fish, or borage seed)
  • Planned surgeries scheduled within the time frame of trial participation

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Quadruple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: LCPUFA Oil Supplement, Low Dose
25 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Drug: LCPUFA Oil Supplement
25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 75 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Experimental: LCPUFA Oil Supplement, Medium Dose
50 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Drug: LCPUFA Oil Supplement
25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 75 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Experimental: LCPUFA Oil Supplement, High Dose
75 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Drug: LCPUFA Oil Supplement
25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 75 mg/kg of GLA+EPA+DHA as Omega 3-6 oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Placebo Comparator: Canola Oil
Equal volume (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 75 mg/kg) of placebo (canola) oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days
Dietary supplement: Canola Oil Placebo
Equal volume (25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, or 75 mg/kg) of placebo (canola) oil to be administered twice per day by mouth for 90 days

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bioavailability
Time Frame: Baseline to 90 days post-randomization
Group differences in bioavailability; each fatty acid as a percent of total erythrocyte fatty acids at the end of the trial
Baseline to 90 days post-randomization
Safety (Adverse Events)
Time Frame: Baseline to 90 days post-randomization
Average number of adverse events per treatment group
Baseline to 90 days post-randomization
Biological Signatures
Time Frame: Baseline to 90 days post-randomization
Changes in the biological signatures (IL-1β, IL-2, IFNγ) from baseline to the end of the trial.
Baseline to 90 days post-randomization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Sarah Keim

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Lynette Rogers, PhD, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 28, 2018

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 10, 2020

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 10, 2020

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 24, 2018

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 6, 2018

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 8, 2018

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
August 3, 2021

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 30, 2021

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB17-00517
  • R61AT009632 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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