A review of the possible role of the essential fatty acids and fish oils in the aetiology, prevention or pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia

Akter, K.; Gallo, Daniel; Martin, Stephen A.; Myronyuk, Natalie; Roberts, Rossela; Stercula, K.; Raffa, Robert B.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2710.2011.01265.x

Cited by 32 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 65 publications

(155 reference statements)

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“…It is hoped that answers will rapidly emerge from this study. In schizophrenia and depression, there are several studies examining the effects of ingesting omega-3 fatty acids [43,146]. Potentially, ingestion of omega-3s or correction of an omega-6/omega-3 imbalance [43,147] can contribute to balancing the cholesterol system and alleviating psychiatric symptoms.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential biomarkers in psychiatry: focus on the cholesterol system

Woods

Sokolowska

Taurines

et al. 2012

J Cellular Molecular Medi

101

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Measuring biomarkers to identify and assess illness is a strategy growing in popularity and relevance. Although already in clinical use for treating and predicting cancer, no biological measurement is used clinically for any psychiatric disorder. Biomarkers could predict the course of a medical problem, and aid in determining how and when to treat. Several studies have indicated that of candidate psychiatric biomarkers detected using proteomic techniques, cholesterol and associated proteins, specifically apolipoproteins (Apos), may be of interest. Cholesterol is necessary for brain development and its synthesis continues at a lower rate in the adult brain. Apos are the protein component of lipoproteins responsible for lipid transport. There is extensive evidence that the levels of cholesterol and Apos may be disturbed in psychiatric disorders, including autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). Here, we describe putative serum biomarkers for psychiatric disorders, and the role of cholesterol and Apos in central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential biomarkers in psychiatry: focus on the cholesterol system

Woods

Sokolowska

Taurines

et al. 2012

J Cellular Molecular Medi

101

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“…The duration of the trials has been limited to 8–16 weeks in the majority of the studies. The main issue is that no conclusions could be drawn regarding the medium- to long-term effects of HUFAs in schizophrenia, according to the findings of the four meta-analysis available on this topic [25,26,27,28] (Table 1). …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Four meta-analyses [25,26,27,28] of RCTs were conducted in order to establish if the available data support the use of omega-3 fatty acids in patients affected by schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. The authors concluded that the evidence in favor of omega-3s as psychotropic agents in schizophrenia is preliminary, and the findings remain yet inconclusive.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data

Bozzatello

Brignolo

Borghi

et al. 2016

JCM

149

109

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A new application for omega-3 fatty acids has recently emerged, concerning the treatment of several mental disorders. This indication is supported by data of neurobiological research, as highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) are highly concentrated in neural phospholipids and are important components of the neuronal cell membrane. They modulate the mechanisms of brain cell signaling, including the dopaminergic and serotonergic pathways. The aim of this review is to provide a complete and updated account of the empirical evidence of the efficacy and safety that are currently available for omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. The main evidence for the effectiveness of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has been obtained in mood disorders, in particular in the treatment of depressive symptoms in unipolar and bipolar depression. There is some evidence to support the use of omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of conditions characterized by a high level of impulsivity and aggression and borderline personality disorders. In patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, small-to-modest effects of omega-3 HUFAs have been found. The most promising results have been reported by studies using high doses of EPA or the association of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In schizophrenia, current data are not conclusive and do not allow us either to refuse or support the indication of omega-3 fatty acids. For the remaining psychiatric disturbances, including autism spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and substance use disorder, the data are too scarce to draw any conclusion. Concerning tolerability, several studies concluded that omega-3 can be considered safe and well tolerated at doses up to 5 g/day.

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“…The results have been mixed: two recent literature reviews of clinical trials did not find statistical differences compared to placebo (Fusar-Poli and Berger, 2012; Akter et al, 2012); however, overall sample size was low, methodology was heterogeneous, and there were some positive effects. One other recent study showed beneficial effects of n-3 fatty acids on treatment and attenuating conversion to psychosis among high risk groups (Amminger et al, 2010), and several literature reviews have shown dose-responsive positive effects on cognition and vision with DHA and AA supplementation in the general population (SanGiovanni et al, 2000; Hoffman et al, 2009; Ryan et al, 2010).…”

Section: Mechanismsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Inflammation and the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia

Feigenson

Kusnecov

Silverstein

2014

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

245

174

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The high societal and individual cost of schizophrenia necessitates finding better, more effective treatment, diagnosis, and prevention strategies. One of the obstacles in this endeavor is the diverse set of etiologies that comprises schizophrenia. A substantial body of evidence has grown over the last few decades to suggest that schizophrenia is a heterogeneous syndrome with overlapping symptoms and etiologies. At the same time, an increasing number of clinical, epidemiological, and experimental studies have shown links between schizophrenia and inflammatory conditions. In this review, we analyze the literature on inflammation and schizophrenia, with a particular focus on comorbidity, biomarkers, and environmental insults. We then identify several mechanisms by which inflammation could influence the development of schizophrenia via the two-hit hypothesis. Lastly, we note the relevance of these findings to clinical applications in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of schizophrenia.

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A review of the possible role of the essential fatty acids and fish oils in the aetiology, prevention or pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia

Cited by 32 publications

References 65 publications

Potential biomarkers in psychiatry: focus on the cholesterol system

Potential biomarkers in psychiatry: focus on the cholesterol system

Supplementation with Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Psychiatric Disorders: A Review of Literature Data

Inflammation and the two-hit hypothesis of schizophrenia

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