Effects of combining exercise with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive function in the elderly: a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Multifactorial lifestyle intervention is known to be more effective for ameliorating cognitive decline than single factor intervention; however, the effects of combining exercise with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on the elderlies' cognitive function remain unclear. We conducted a randomised, single-masked placebo-controlled trial in non-demented elderly Japanese individuals. Participants were randomly allocated to the exercise with LCPUFA, placebo, or no exercise with placebo (control) groups. Participants in the exercise groups performed 150 min of exercise per week, comprised resistance and aerobic training, for 24 weeks with supplements of either LCPUFA (docosahexaenoic acid, 300 mg/day; eicosapentaenoic acid, 100 mg/day; arachidonic acid, 120 mg/day) or placebo. Cognitive functions were evaluated by neuropsychological tests prior to and following the intervention. The per-protocol set analysis (n = 76) revealed no significant differences between the exercise and the control groups in changes of neuropsychological tests. Subgroup analysis for participants with low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) corresponding to sarcopenia cut-off value showed changes in selective attention, while working memory in the exercise with LCPUFA group was better than in the control group. These findings suggest that exercise with LCPUFA supplementation potentially improves attention and working memory in the elderly with low SMI.

Effects of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Combination with Lutein and Zeaxanthin on Episodic Memory in Healthy Older Adults

“…In both trials, the cognitive function of the participants was considered to be at the same level as that of the general older population, as the average MoCA-J scores obtained at baseline ( Table 1 and Table 3 ) were at about the same level as the average scores previously reported for older community-dwelling Japanese people [ 39 ]. In terms of LCPUFAs, ARA (9.3% in Trial 1, 9.9% in Trial 2), DHA (6.5% in Trial 1, 6.7% in Trial 2), and EPA (1.9% in Trial 1, 2.0% in Trial 2) compositions in plasma phospholipids and dietary ARA (Trial 1: 172 mg/day, Trial 2: 178 mg/day), DHA (Trial 1: 482 mg/day, Trial 2: 498 mg/day), and EPA (Trial 1: 272 mg/day, Trial 2: 285 mg/day) intakes were within the range reported by previous studies on older Japanese people [ 31 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. These results suggest that the participants in both studies corresponded well with the general population of older Japanese.…”

Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Their Metabolites Regulate Inflammation in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

“…214 Omega-3 LCPUFA supplementation can improve brain neurocognitive functions, limit neuroinflammation and stress response defects in aged animal models and clinical trials. [215][216][217][218] Meanwhile, peroxide products of LCPUFA, such as A2E, can cause telomere dysfunction and accelerate RPE cell senescence. 219…”

The influence of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on cognitive function in individuals without dementia: a systematic review and dose–response meta-analysis

“…Cognitive measures employed in the trials are presented in Additional file 1 : Table S2. The most frequently employed measurement was the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) for global cognition [ 38 , 39 , 43 , 44 , 46 , 49 , 53 , 56 ], the delayed recall test from Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) for episodic memory [ 43 , 46 , 50 , 58 ], verbal fluency test for executive function [ 42 , 43 , 50 – 53 , 60 ], digit symbol substitution test for processing speed [ 39 , 46 , 53 ], trail making test A (TMT-A) for attention [ 36 , 42 , 50 , 59 , 60 ] and block design test for visuospatial function [ 39 , 50 ].…”