EFFECTS OF OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE

描述（由申请人提供）：长链omega-3脂肪酸是主要存在于鱼类中的必需营养素。大多数美国人很少吃鱼，因此可能有健康后遗症的风险。临床试验证据普遍表明，鱼油补充剂的有益作用：a)降低心脏病患者的心血管疾病发病率，b)改善精神病患者群体的症状。然而，补充剂对普通人群的影响尚不清楚。申请人和他的同事最近获得支持，在健康的成年社区志愿者中进行一项随机和安慰剂对照的临床实验，以测试鱼油补充剂对心血管疾病风险、负面情绪和冲动指标的影响。新的观察证据也将低饮食摄入或低组织水平的omega-3脂肪酸与认知功能低下或痴呆联系起来。拟议研究的目的是在上述研究的背景下检验补充剂对习惯少吃或不吃鱼的健康成年人的认知影响。这一新的次要结果将需要在基线和治疗期结束后进行一系列神经心理学测试，评估工作和一般记忆、精神运动速度、注意力和执行功能。补充剂对认知能力的任何明显改善都表明，饮食缺乏对认知能力有负面影响，而且这种认知能力的下降可以通过增加omega-3脂肪酸的摄入而以实际的方式逆转。公共健康相关性：长链omega-3脂肪酸是大脑中高度集中的必需营养素，但美国人通常在饮食中摄入的这些营养素很少。由于一些证据表明低摄入量与认知功能低下有关，计划中的研究将测试服用omega-3脂肪酸补充剂是否能提高思维速度、信息处理和记忆力。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients found primarily in fish. Most Americans eat little fish and, therefore, may be at risk for health sequelae. Clinical trail evidence generally indicates beneficial effects of fish oil supplementation: a) on cardiovascular disease incidence in patients with heart disease and, b) in terms of symptom amelioration in psychiatric patient groups. However, the effects of supplementation in the general population are unknown. The applicant and his colleagues have recently received support to conduct a randomized and placebo-controlled clinical experiment in healthy, adult community volunteers to test the effects of fish oil supplementation on markers for cardiovascular disease risk, negative affect and impulsivity. New observational evidence now also links low dietary intake or tissue levels of omega-3 fatty acids to poor cognitive functioning or dementia. The objective of the proposed research is to examine in the context of the described study the putative cognitive effects of supplementation in healthy adults who habitually consume little or no fish. This new, secondary outcome would entail administration of a battery of neuropsychological tests assessing working and general memory, psychomotor speed, attention and executive function at baseline and after at the end of the treatment period. Any demonstrable improvements in cognitive performance with supplementation would indicate both that dietary deficiency negatively affects cognition and that such performance decrements are reversible in a practical manner through increased omega-3 fatty acid consumption. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are highly concentrated in the brain yet Americans typically consume very little of these nutrients in their diets. Since some evidence links low intake with poor cognitive function, the planned research would test whether taking a supplement of omega-3 fatty acids improves mental speed, information processing, and memory.