4. Discussion
ADOS
No significant clinical improvement was demonstrated in the behavioural outcome measures evaluated in ASD children aged 3–7 years treated with sulforaphane (SFN) in our study. The mean total raw scores on ABC and SRS-2 improved in the SFN and placebo groups, but none of the changes reached statistical significance. Changes in the assessment of the ADOS subscale scores also did not differ between the two study cohorts. There were no significant differences between the SFN and placebo groups at any time point or with any of the methods used. Similar to the ABS and SRS-2 surveys, the mean summary subscale scores on both visits mostly showed improvement, but the changes were also not significant.Numerous studies have revealed that placebo effects can affect the information capability of rating scales assessed by parents or caregivers [Contradicting trial results provided mixed evidence of the effect of SFN [Previous studies have reported that parents’/caregivers’ beliefs about how a treatment will work are efficacious. Parents tend to give favourable ratings to treatments that much research has shown to be ineffective. This was also shown in the parents of our patients. The vast majority of parents reported some clinical improvement irrespective of taking the SFN or placebo in the first phase with a lesser effect in the second phase of the study (