Omega-3 Supplementation and Adolescent Behavior

项目摘要 尽管越来越多的证据表明，侵略性有重要的神经生物学基础， 尽管暴力是一个全球性的公共卫生问题，但干预措施在很大程度上被搁置一边。 一个重要的需求是开发社会可接受的改善大脑功能的方法，以减少青少年的大脑功能。 行为问题，成人暴力犯罪和心理健康问题的关键发展阶段。 这是该提案旨在应对的主要健康挑战。我们的试验数据表明，欧米茄-3， 长链脂肪酸对大脑结构和功能至关重要，可减少儿童的行为问题， 补充剂结束后6个月的青少年。如果我们能进一步证明 我们的试验结果与双重补充父母和青少年，如果我们可以开始，以确定 这可能为生物干预提供新的前景， 青少年易受暴力侵害的外部化问题。我们的首要长期目标是发展 一种非侵入性的生物学方法来预防青少年的攻击行为，并最终预防成年人的暴力行为。 这项2x2随机、双盲、分层、安慰剂对照的omega-3试验的具体目的是 补充青少年和照顾者：（1）调查是否营养干预， 青少年和他们的父母可以减少外化行为问题;（2）检查双重影响 对青少年外化行为问题的父母和青少年进行营养干预; 确定omega-3补充剂影响外化行为的作用机制， 青少年。预计omega-3补充剂将减少青少年的行为问题， 对照顾者和青少年的双重补充将导致指数改善， 青少年行为第二个预测是，神经认知功能的改善将部分地 说明观察到的任何行为改善。对学习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， 只关注青少年，但也适用于主要照顾者。据我们所知， 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降低社区中攻击性和反社会行为的总体水平 总的来说，有希望加强儿童的健康和发展与临床范例新颖的， 行为问题的生物学研究。这项研究的意义超出了青少年行为问题， 这不仅容易导致成年后的暴力行为，也容易导致各种各样的成年精神障碍。这些 成人的结果导致巨大的社会负担方面的经济成本，减少职业 功能，社会功能和受害者和肇事者的生活质量，这可能是一个负担， 如果我们的试点结果得到支持，情况将得到显著改善。

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.