Assessment of behavior change in a fragile-X syndrome male treated with folic acid.

ABSTRACT

The effects of folic acid treatment were assessed in a 7-year-old boy with Fragile-X (fra(X] syndrome utilizing a within-subject experimental design. Dependent variables consisted of classroom behavior, activity level/impulsiveness, and attentiveness. While improvements in all dependent variables were observed during folic acid treatment in comparison to initial baseline/placebo conditions, these changes were maintained in a final return to the placebo condition. These results do not support unequivocally the effectiveness of folic acid treatment. Folic acid treatment may have facilitated behavior changes that were then maintained by natural contingencies in the child's environment.