According To an Important New Study...
Supplements including the omega-3 fatty acid DHA
(docosahexaenoic acid) may alter the function of the brain
associated with working memory, according to results of
a new study with healthy young boys.
Using neuro-imaging,scientists from the University of Cincinnati
showed for the first time that supplementation with Omega-3 (DHA)
alters the functional activity in cortical attention networks in
humans.
"The present findings add to an emerging body of evidence from
preclinical and clinical imaging studies that suggest that dietary
DHA intake is a robust modulator of functional cortical activity,"
wrote the researchers in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The new study helps verify a previous study from the European
Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for DHA-related brain and eye health
claims for infants. EFSA's Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and
Allergies (NDA) said DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) levels of 100mg
of per day were appropriate for 7-24 month-old infants along with
200mg per day for pregnant and lactating women.
The DHA claims relating to brain health stated: "DHA intake can
contribute to normal brain development of the foetus, infant and
young children" Another omega-3 fatty acid, known as ALA (alpha
linolenic acid), was affirmed as important for the normal brain
development of children up to the age of 18 but no specific dosage
levels were identified.
Study Details
While there is a growing body of evidence linking DHA to cognitive
function, the researchers note that it is unkown how DHA
supplementation may affect functional cortical activity in humans.
In order to fill this knowledge gap, they recruited 33 health boys
aged between 8 and 10 and randomly assigned them to receive
one of two doses of DHA or placebo for eight weeks.
Brain activation patterns were measured using functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI) during a test of sustained attention while
playing video games. The results showed that DHA levels in the
membrane of red blood cells (erythrocytes ) increased by 47 and
70 per cent in the low and high dose DHA group, while the placebo
groups experienced an 11 per cent drop in DHA levels.
The most significant finding from the fMRI data was an indication
of significant increases in the activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal
cortex part of the brain in the DHA groups - an area of the brain
associated with working memory. Changes in other parts of the
brain, including the occipital cortex (the visual processing centre)
and the cerebellar cortex (plays a role in motor control) were
observed.
"These findings suggest that this imaging paradigm could be useful
for elucidating neurobiological mechanisms underlying deficits in
cortical activity in psychiatric disorders associated with DHA
deficiencies, including ADHD and major depression," concluded
the researchers.
The study was co-funded by Martek, the National Institutes of Health,
and the Inflammation Research Foundation.
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online "Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation increases
prefrontal cortex activation during sustained attention in healthy boys:
a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, functional magnetic resonance
imaging study"
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