JLE

Magnesium Research

MENU

Improvement of neurobehavioral disorders in children supplemented with magnesium-vitamin B6 Volume 19, numéro 1, March 2006

Auteurs
Explorations Fonctionnelles du Système Nerveux, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Carémeau, Nîmes, Laboratoire de Biochimie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Carémeau, Nîmes, Département de Pharmacologie, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, Laboratoire de Biochimie, Faculté de Pharmacie, Montpellier (France)

Previous studies reported positive results with the use of Mg-vitamin B6 in autism. Despite these reports, this intervention remains controversial. In order to study relationships between changes in clinical symtoms and biological parameters, 33 children (mean age: 4 [1-10] years old) with clinical symptoms of pervasive developmental disorder or autism (PDD, as defined in DSM-IV) were followed for at least 6 months; another group of 36 children (same age) devoided of any known pathology was used as control. All PDD children received a magnesium-vit B6 (Mg-B6) regimen (6 mg/kg/d Mg and 0.6 mg/kg/d vit B6). Intraerythrocyte Mg 2+ (Erc-Mg), serum Mg 2+ (s-Mg) and blood ionized Ca 2+ (i-Ca) were measured before and after treatment. Clinical symptoms of PDD were scored (0 to 4). In contrast to s-Mg or i-Ca, PDD children exhibited significantly lower Erc-Mg values than controls (2.17 ± 0.4 versus 2.73 ± 0.23 mmol/L; 16/33). The Mg-B6 regimen led to an increase in Erc-Mg values (2.42 ± 0.41 (after) versus 2.17 ± 0.4 mmol/l (before), 11/17) and this supplementation improved PDD symptoms in 23/33 children (p < 0.0001) with no adverse effects: social interactions (23/33), communication (24/33), stereotyped restricted behavior (18/33), and abnormal/delayed functioning (17/33); 15/33 children were improved in the first three groups of symptoms. When the Mg-B6 treatment was stopped, PDD symtoms reappeared in few weeks. A statistically significant relationship was found in Erc-Mg values from children before treatment and their mothers. In conclusion, this study suggests that the behavioral improvement observed with the combination vitamin B6-magnesium in PDD/autism is associated with concomitant modifications of Erc-Mg values.