Omega-3 and its domain-specific effects on cognitive test performance in youths: A meta-analysis

Emery, Sophie; Häberling, Isabelle; Berger, Gregor; Walitza, Susanne; Schmeck, Klaus; Albert, Therese; Baumgartner, Noemi; Strumberger, Michael; Albermann, Mona; Drechsler, Renate

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.02.016

Cited by 28 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 98 publications

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“…The finding regarding the positive effects of ≥450 mg DHA + EPA per day for cognition is in line with the earlier review of Emery et al [ 23 ], showing that when studies with a dose of less than 400 mg DHA + EPA were excluded, a small effect size on the domains of recall and recognition long-term memory (i.e., the ability to recognize items after an extended time period) was shown, while this was not the case when studies with a dose <400 mg were included. It is, however, important to note that Emery et al did not include all studies which were included in this review (i.e., 33 studies were included in the current review of which 16 were also included in Emery et al).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…In a review of studies investigating the effect of n -3 LCPUFA on death from cardiovascular disease, only trials in which the daily dose of DHA was at least 500 mg showed a reduction in cardiovascular mortality [ 20 ]. In line with this finding, in the meta-analysis of Emery et al, an effect of n -3 LCPUFA supplementation on cognition (i.e., on the domains recall and recognition long-term memory) was only evident when studies with a dose of less than 400 mg DHA + EPA were excluded from the analyses [ 23 ]. This indicates that a n -3 LCPUFA supplementation dose above 400 mg DHA + EPA might be effective in improving cognition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

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Effect of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFA) Supplementation on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on n-3 LCPUFA Blood Values and Dose of DHA and EPA

2020

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Omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) supplementation in the cardiovascular field is effective if a certain Omega-3 index (O3I) is achieved or the daily n-3 LCPUFA dose is high enough. Whether this applies to studies on cognition in children and adolescents is unclear. The aims of the current review were to investigate whether: (1) a certain O3I level and (2) a minimum daily n-3 LCPUFA dose are required to improve cognition in 4–25 year olds. Web of Science and PubMed were searched. Inclusion criteria: placebo controlled randomized controlled trial; participants 4–25 years; supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and/or eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); assessing cognition; in English and ≥10 participants per treatment arm. Thirty-three studies were included, 21 in typically developing participants, 12 in those with a disorder. A positive effect on cognitive measures was more likely in studies with an increase in O3I to >6%. Half of the studies in typically developing children with daily supplementation dose ≥450 mg DHA + EPA showed improved cognition. For children with a disorder no cut-off value was found. In conclusion, daily supplementation of ≥450 mg DHA + EPA per day and an increase in the O3I to >6% makes it more likely to show efficacy on cognition in children and adolescents.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Effect of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFA) Supplementation on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on n-3 LCPUFA Blood Values and Dose of DHA and EPA

2020

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“…Marine fish oil, a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA and DHA, has no reported adverse effects on learning or memory; the same is true of combined supplementation with EPA and DHA 43,44 . An analysis of the composition of commonly consumed marine fish oils or EPA and DHA supplements in various representative experiments showed that the ratios of EPA to DHA were in the range of 1:1~1:2 45,46 , suggesting that the ratio of EPA to DHA is critical for effects on learning and memory and other physiological processes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute EPA-induced learning and memory impairment in mice is prevented by DHA

et al. 2020

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Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 fatty acid, has been widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) and treat brain diseases alone or in combination with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). However, the impact of EPA and DHA supplementation on normal cognitive function and the molecular targets of EPA and DHA are still unknown. We show that acute administration of EPA impairs learning and memory and hippocampal LTP in adult and prepubescent mice. Similar deficits are duplicated by endogenously elevating EPA in the hippocampus in the transgenic fat-1 mouse. Furthermore, the damaging effects of EPA are mediated through enhancing GABAergic transmission via the 5-HT6R. Interestingly, DHA can prevent EPA-induced impairments at a ratio of EPA to DHA similar to that in marine fish oil via the 5-HT2CR. We conclude that EPA exhibits an unexpected detrimental impact on cognitive functions, suggesting that caution must be exercised in omega-3 fatty acid supplementation and the combination of EPA and DHA at a natural ratio is critical for learning and memory and synaptic plasticity.

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“…Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3-PUFA) are essential fatty acids for homeostasis acquired through diet and include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are crucial for brain development 87,88 .…”

Section: Omega-3 Fatty Acids Adhd and Wnt/mtor-signalingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stress–Wnt-signaling axis: a hypothesis for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and therapy approaches

et al. 2020

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Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common psychiatric neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents. Although ADHD has been studied for nearly a century, the cause and pathophysiology of ADHD is yet largely unknown. However, findings from previous studies have resulted in the formation of a new hypothesis: Apart from the well-known multifactorial etiology of ADHD, recent evidence suggests that the interaction between genetic and environmental factors and especially Wnt- and mTOR-signaling pathways might have an important role in the pathophysiology of ADHD. The Wnt-signaling pathway is known to orchestrate cellular proliferation, polarity, and differentiation, and the mTOR pathway is involved in several significant processes of neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. As a result, dysregulations of these pathways in a time-dependent manner could lead to neurodevelopmental delays, resulting in ADHD phenotype. This review presents further evidence supporting our hypothesis by combining results from studies on ADHD and Wnt- or mTOR-signaling and the influence of genetics, methylphenidate treatment, Omega-3 supplementation, and stress.

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Omega-3 and its domain-specific effects on cognitive test performance in youths: A meta-analysis

Cited by 28 publications

References 98 publications

Effect of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFA) Supplementation on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on n-3 LCPUFA Blood Values and Dose of DHA and EPA

Effect of Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (n-3 LCPUFA) Supplementation on Cognition in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Literature Review with a Focus on n-3 LCPUFA Blood Values and Dose of DHA and EPA

Acute EPA-induced learning and memory impairment in mice is prevented by DHA

The stress–Wnt-signaling axis: a hypothesis for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and therapy approaches

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