The Effect of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cognitive Performance and Mood

The Effect of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cognitive Performance and Mood of Healthy Young Adults

The study investigates whether dietary intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids affects learning and mood of healthy young adults.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Dietary supplement: Omega-3 fatty acids

Detailed Description

The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) of the omega-3 series and AA (arachidonic acid) of the omega-6 series are building blocks of all cell membranes and are found in high concentrations in retina and brain. Food sources of LA and ALA are vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Since low conversion rates from ALA to DHA are a characteristic of human metabolism, adequate dietary provision with the long-chained omega-3 molecules depends primarily on individual eating habits. While AA is abundant in meat and dairy products, EPA and DHA are found in noteworthy concentrations only in certain species of fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel.

The study investigates whether participants receiving an omega-3 supplement over a period of 4 month, perform better on a series of cognitive tests, than the participants allocated to the placebo group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 82
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 16 years to 24 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy young adults

Exclusion Criteria:

• Coagulation disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: 1; 1: omega-3 fatty acid supplement	Dietary supplement: Omega-3 fatty acids; 600 mg EPA 120mg DHA daily, 16 weeks
Placebo Comparator: 2; 2: olive oil	Dietary supplement: Omega-3 fatty acids; 600 mg EPA 120mg DHA daily, 16 weeks

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Cognition	Before intervention and after 16 weeks of intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Mood	Before intervention and after 16 weeks of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Ulm
• Collaborators: Philipps University Marburg Medical Center; Cognitive Drug Research Ltd
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Katharina A Widenhorn-Mueller, PhD, University of Ulm; Principal Investigator: Ulrike Weiland, MD, University of Ulm

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2006
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 1, 2007

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 1, 2008
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 13, 2008
• First Posted (Estimate): February 14, 2008

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 14, 2008
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 13, 2008
• Last Verified: February 1, 2008

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cognitive function; Mood; Young adults; Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids; Supply with omega-3 fatty acids
• Other Study ID Numbers: 213/2005