Article: Association between serum long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognitive performance in elderly men and women
Author: T A D'Ascoli, J Mursu, S Voutilainen, J Kauhanen, T P Tuomainen, J K Virtanen
Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Source Date: April 13th, 2016
Link: http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v70/n8/abs/ejcn201659a.html
Summary: Scientists organized a study to determine if fish intake and the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that are gained from a high level of fish intake can slow cognitive decline. They studied the effect of 3 PUFAs (EPA, DPA, and DHA) on older individual’s results on various neuropsychological tests, and sought to determine if exposure to methylmercury from fish or the Apo-E4 phenotype had an effect on the potential cognitive benefits of these PUFAs.
In the study, they had 768 people take five neuropsychological
tests: the Trial Making Test, the Verbal Fluency Test, the Selective Reminding Test,
the Visual Reproduction Test and the Mini Mental State Exam. These neuropsychological
tests are made up of specifically designed tasks which are used to measure a
psychological function which is known to be linked to a particular brain
structure or pathway. This is helpful because it can be used in a clinical
setting to diagnose mental deficits in brain function.
After conducting the study, they found that those with high levels
of EPA, DPA, and DHA (specifically DHA) had much better performance in the Trail
Making Test and the Verbal Fluency Test. Hair mercury content only resulted in
decreased performance in the Trail Making Test, and overall, the mercury had
very little effect on the long-chain fatty acids and increased cognitive
performance. In addition, the Apo-E4 phenotype did not affect the increased cognitive
performance that resulted from PUFAs in these tests.
These results are significant because they show that the cognitive
benefits of a diet rich with long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids,
which is usually obtained through a diet rich with seafood, largely nullify the
cognitive risks of the consumption of mercury as well as the risks of the
Apo-E4 phenotype.
PUFA's positive effects are not negated by the mercury content.
ReplyDeleteWhy do some researches found profound effects of APOE4 and yours shows no effects?
APOE4 Had not affect on cognitive performance in this study.
ReplyDeleteHow does the brain work that these fatty acids can have positive affects on some processes, but not on others?
DHA specifically had the greatest effect on slowing cognitive decline in the area of verbal fluency.
ReplyDeleteWere the specific concentrations of mercury measured? Were they obtained from the same fish that the fatty acids were also obtained from, and were those fatty acids also supplemented with pill-supplements?
PUFAs can benefit cognitive function and prevent the harmful effects of mercury consumption and Apo-E4 phenotype issues
ReplyDeleteWhat effects does the Apo-E4 phenotype have on the brain in other areas?
High levels of EPA, DPA, and DHA have better pefromance in the Trail Making Test and Verbal Fluency overall.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the connection between the Apo-E4 phenotype and Omega-3s?
Although we were previously concerned about potential mercury poisoning, mercury had very little effect on the long-chain fatty acids and increased performance in cognitive tests.
ReplyDeleteWe know that mercury didn't have an effect on the fatty acids chains and cognitive performance, but were there any other areas in which the mercury affected?
Neurophychological tests are very specific, testing a specific area of cognitive function & using these tests, scientists have found that mercury and APOE4 do not diminish the effects of an omega-3 rich diet.
ReplyDeleteCan you elaborate on the types of testing done? Or give a sample question from different tests? (Just so we can see how cognitive decline is being assessed.)
If a diet is rich with DHA, mercury and ApoE do not have a major effect on cognitive functions.
ReplyDeleteDid your study explain on a molecular level why the mercury and ApoE did not effect cognitive decline if there was a high level of DHA? Research I have found shows that with the ApoE4 gene, DHA is oxidized more quickly unless there is antioxidant supplementation.
Increased amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids can slow the cognitive decline to a degree large enough to easily overshadow the mercury consumption drawbacks.
ReplyDeleteDid the study determine which specific types of omega-3 affect the patients the most, or just determine a combination of the three helps?