Does omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation enhance neural efficiency? A review of the literature

Bauer, Isabelle E.; Crewther, Sheila G.; Pipingas, Andrew; Sellick, Laura; Crewther, David P.

doi:10.1002/hup.2370

Cited by 31 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Fatty acids including the omega-3 group are assumed to play a key role in neurodevelopment during early childhood as well as in regulating cognitive functioning across the life span [238], with supplementation studies revealing their benefits to neural efficiency [239]. In autism, the few studies examining the effect of maternal fatty acid supplementation or intake on autism and autistic trait outcomes have revealed inconsistent results.…”

Section: Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder

Bölte

Girdler

Marschik

2018

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

338

246

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition of heterogeneous etiology. While it is widely recognized that genetic and environmental factors and their interactions contribute to autism phenotypes, their precise causal mechanisms remain poorly understood. This article reviews our current understanding of environmental risk factors of ASD and their presumed adverse physiological mechanisms. It comprehensively maps the significance of parental age, teratogenic compounds, perinatal risks, medication, smoking and alcohol use, nutrition, vaccination, toxic exposures, as well as the role of extreme psychosocial factors. Further, we consider the role of potential protective factors such as folate and fatty acid intake. Evidence indicates an increased offspring vulnerability to ASD through advanced maternal and paternal age, valproate intake, toxic chemical exposure, maternal diabetes, enhanced steroidogenic activity, immune activation, and possibly altered zinc–copper cycles and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Epidemiological studies demonstrate no evidence for vaccination posing an autism risk. It is concluded that future research needs to consider categorical autism, broader autism phenotypes, as well as autistic traits, and examine more homogenous autism variants by subgroup stratification. Our understanding of autism etiology could be advanced by research aimed at disentangling the causal and non-causal environmental effects, both founding and moderating, and gene–environment interplay using twin studies, longitudinal and experimental designs. The specificity of many environmental risks for ASD remains unknown and control of multiple confounders has been limited. Further understanding of the critical windows of neurodevelopmental vulnerability and investigating the fit of multiple hit and cumulative risk models are likely promising approaches in enhancing the understanding of role of environmental factors in the etiology of ASD.

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Section: Environmental Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder

Bölte

Girdler

Marschik

2018

Cell. Mol. Life Sci.

338

246

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“…The high level of EPA and DHA in red blood cells is associated with a slowed hippocampal and overall brain atrophy in humans (Pottala et al 2014). A supplementation with DHA and EPA has been reported to enhance memory and cognitive function though DHA treatment remains somewhat unproven (Bauer et al 2014). However, the peripheral status of PUFA in blood was normal in our patient.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

Combined Sepiapterin Reductase and Methylmalonyl-CoA Epimerase Deficiency in a Second Patient: Cerebrospinal Fluid Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Level and Follow-Up Under l-DOPA, 5-HTP and BH4 Trials

et al. 2015

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Objective/context: We describe the second patient presenting the combination of two homoallelic homozygous nonsense mutations in two genes distant from 1.8 Mb in the chromosome 2p13-3, the methylmalonyl-CoA epimerase gene (MCEE) and the sepiapterin reductase gene (SPR).Case report: The patient was born from consanguineous parents. He has presented a moderate but constant methylmalonic acid (MMA) excretion in urine associated with a mental retardation. The first homozygous mutation was identified in the MCEE gene (c.139C>T; p.Arg47*). Progressive dystonia and cataplexy narcolepsy led to diagnose the second homozygous mutation in the SPR gene: c.751A>T; p.Lys251*. Sepiapterin reductase deficiency (SRD) was characterized by a defect in tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), the cofactor of several hydroxylases needed for the synthesis of neurotransmitters. A treatment with L-DOPA/carbidopa and 5-HTP dramatically improved the dystonic posture, the mood and the hypersomnia, proving that the pathogenesis was due to SRD. A supplementation with BH4 did not induce additional clinical benefit, although HVA and HIAA increased in CSF. The polyunsaturated fatty acids were measured in CSF as the markers of the neuronal stress. We have shown that DHA and its precursor EPA were high before and during the time course of the different treatments.In conclusion: The patient has inherited two copies of the two mutations from his consanguineous parents in the MCEE and SPR genes in the chromosome 2p13-3. DHA and EPA increased in CSF as a response to the neuronal stress induced by the defect in neurotransmitters or the altered metabolism of the odd-chain fatty acids and cholesterol.

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“…While evidence suggests that DHA is the most relevant long chain omega-3 fatty acid, there have been reports of its long chain precursor, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) also being related to neural and cognitive outcomes (Bauer et al, 2014;Bauer, Crewther, Pipingas, Sellick, & Crewther, 2013). Thus, our analyses are based on the reported intake of DHA + EPA, known as the Omega-3 Index (Harris & Von Schacky, 2004), adjusted for total energy consumed [(EPA grams + DHA grams) / total calories] (Subar et al, 2001) and then scaled by 1000 calories to represent long chain N3 fatty acid consumption per 1000 calories of intake (hereafter, energy-adjusted N3 Index).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are related to impulse control and anterior cingulate function in adolescents

Darcey

McQuaid

Fishbein

et al. 2018

Preprint

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Impulse control, an emergent function modulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), helps to dampen risky behaviors during adolescence. Influences on PFC maturation during this period may contribute to variations in impulse control. Availability of omega-3 fatty acids, an essential dietary nutrient integral to neuronal structure and function, may be one such influence. This study examined whether intake of energy-adjusted long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)) was related to variation in impulse control and PFC activity during performance of an inhibitory task in adolescents (n= 87; 51.7% female, mean age 13.3+1.1 years) enrolled in a longitudinal neuroimaging study. Intake of DHA+EPA was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire and adjusted for total energy intake. Inhibitory control was assessed using caregiver rating scale (BRIEF Inhibit subscale) and task performance (false alarm rate) on a Go/No-Go task performed during functional MRI.Reported intake of long-chain omega-3 was positively associated with caregiver ratings of adolescent ability to control impulses (p=0.017) and there was a trend for an association between intake and task-based impulse control (p=0.072). Furthermore, a regression of BOLD response within PFC during successful impulse control (Correct No-Go versus Incorrect NoGo) with energy-adjusted DHA+EPA intake revealed that adolescents reporting lower intakes display greater activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate, potentially suggestive of a possible lag in cortical development. The present results suggest that dietary omega-3 fatty acids are related to development of both impulse control and function of the dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus in normative adolescent development. Insufficiency of dietary omega-3 fatty acids during this developmental period may be a factor which hinders development of behavioral control.

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Does omega‐3 fatty acid supplementation enhance neural efficiency? A review of the literature

Abstract: We conclude that, where comparison is available, an increase in EPA intake is more advantageous than DHA in reducing "brain effort" relative to cognitive performance.

Cited by 31 publications

References 61 publications

The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder

The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder

Combined Sepiapterin Reductase and Methylmalonyl-CoA Epimerase Deficiency in a Second Patient: Cerebrospinal Fluid Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Level and Follow-Up Under l-DOPA, 5-HTP and BH4 Trials

Dietary long-chain omega-3 fatty acids are related to impulse control and anterior cingulate function in adolescents

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