Omega-3 Supplementation and Adolescent Behavior

项目摘要 尽管越来越多的证据表明攻击性有重要的神经生物学基础，但生物学的 尽管暴力是一个全球公共卫生问题，但干预在很大程度上是回避的。 一个重要的需要是开发出社会可以接受的改善大脑功能的方法，以减少青少年 行为问题，成人暴力行为和心理健康问题的关键发展阶段。 这是这项提案旨在解决的主要卫生挑战。我们的试验数据表明，omega-3，a 长链脂肪酸对大脑结构和功能至关重要，它可以减少儿童的行为问题，并 青少年在补充剂结束后六个月。如果我们能进一步支持和扩展 我们对父母和青少年进行双重补充的试点发现，如果我们能够开始识别 变化背后的作用机制，这可以为生物干预提供一个新的前景 青少年易受暴力影响的外在化问题。我们最重要的长期目标是发展 一种非侵入性的生物方法，以防止青少年的攻击，并最终防止成人暴力。 这项2×2随机、双盲、分层、安慰剂对照的omega-3试验的具体目标 对青少年和照顾者的补充是：(1)调查营养干预是否对 青少年及其父母可以减少外化行为问题；(2)考察双重影响 父母和青少年对青少年外化行为问题的营养干预； 确定补充omega-3影响外化行为的作用机制 青少年。预计补充omega-3将减少青少年的行为问题， 对照料者和青少年的双重补充将导致指数级的改善 青春期行为。第二个预测是，神经认知功能的改善将部分地 解释观察到的任何行为改善。对学业能力的影响也进行了探讨。 可能影响临床实践的范式转变是使用生物干预，而不是 只关注青少年，但也适用于主要照顾者。据我们所知，这样 双重补充从未被研究过。从流行病学的角度来看，如果这种双重干预 这种方法甚至可以适度地减少社区中的攻击性和反社会行为的总体水平 总的来说，有希望通过临床范例小说来促进儿童的健康和发展 行为问题的生物学研究。这项研究的意义超越了青少年的行为问题， 这不仅容易导致后来的成人暴力，而且还会导致一系列成人精神障碍。这些 成年人的结果在经济成本方面造成了巨大的社会负担，减少了职业 受害者和肇事者的功能、社会功能和生活质量，这可能是一个负担 如果我们的试验结果得到支持，情况就会得到显著改善。

Project Summary Despite increasing evidence for a significant neurobiological basis to aggression, biological interventions have been largely side-stepped, despite the fact that violence is a global public health problem. An important need is to develop socially acceptable ways of bettering brain functioning to reduce adolescent behavior problems, a critical developmental stage for adult violence perpetration and mental health problems. This is the primary health challenge that this proposal aims to tackle. Our pilot data documents that omega-3, a long-chain fatty acid which is critical for brain structure and function, reduces behavior problems in children and adolescents six months after the end of supplementation. If we can further document support and extension of our pilot findings with dual supplementation to both parent and adolescent, and if we can begin to identify the mechanisms of action underlying change, this can provide a new vista on biological interventions for adolescent externalizing problems that predispose to violence. Our overarching, long-term goals are to develop a non-invasive biological approach to prevention of youth aggression, and ultimately adult violence. The specific aims of this 2 x 2 randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo-controlled trial of omega-3 supplementation to adolescents and caregivers are: (1) to investigate whether a nutritional intervention to adolescents and their parents can reduce externalizing behavior problems; (2) to examine the impact of a dual nutritional intervention to both parents and adolescents on adolescent externalizing behavior problems; (3) to identify mechanisms of action by which omega-3 supplementation impacts externalizing behavior in adolescents. It is expected that omega-3 supplementation will reduce adolescent behavior problems, and that dual supplementation to both the caregiver and adolescent will result in exponential improvements in adolescent behavior. A secondary prediction is that improvements in neurocognitive functioning will partially account for any behavioral improvements observed. Effects on scholastic ability are also explored. The paradigm-shift that could influence clinical practice is the use of a biological intervention that is not solely focused on the adolescent, but which is also applied to the primary caregiver. To our knowledge, such dual supplementation has never been examined. From an epidemiological standpoint, if this dual intervention approach could reduce even modestly the overall level of aggressive and antisocial behavior in the community at large, there is the promise of enhancing child health and development with a clinical paradigm novel in the biological study of behavior problems. The study's significance extends beyond adolescent behavior problems, which predispose not just to later adult violence, but also a wide array of adult psychiatric disorders. These adult outcomes result in an enormous societal burden in terms of economic costs, reduced occupational functioning, social functioning, and quality of life for both victims and perpetrators, a burden which could be significantly ameliorated if our pilot findings are supported.