Follow-up research
Currently funding is requested to conduct further research. As has been described in Lidy Pelsser’s thesis (in chapter 9.6., pages 194-202), follow-up research will focus on (1) the long-term effects of food, (2) the mechanism of food, (3) the effect of an RED on other psychiatric disorders, and (4) the effects of an RED on functional somatic complaints. These research issues well all be addressed in the Validation of Intervention and Prevention-project (the VIP-project). We hope to realise this plan, covering a 5-year period, in a specialised RED-ADHD-Centre at a university in the Netherlands.
Follow-up research is if of the utmost importance to find out whether any biological markers may be found that indicate that ADHD is caused by food. Extensive blood, urine, saliva and faeces tests in children with Food-Induced-ADHD (FI-ADHD), Classic-ADHD (C-ADHD) and their siblings are high on the priority list of the Pelsser RED Centre. Hopefully further research will lead to tests predicting whether either RED research or treatment-as-usual should be first choice in each individual child suffering from ADHD. We hope that in the end a simple test may suffice to predict whether or not a child is suffering from FI-ADHD, and if so, to which foods the child reacts. This would be wonderful news for all children with ADHD and their families, because it goes without saying that a simple test would be preferable to a 5-week diet.
