Cognitive performance among the elderly and dietary fish intake: the Hordaland Health Study.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidence suggests that cognitive impairment and dementia in older subjects might be influenced by a diet including seafood.


OBJECTIVE
The objective was to examine the cross-sectional relation between intake of different amounts of various seafood (fish and fish products) and cognitive performance.


METHODS
The subjects (n = 2031 subjects; 55% women), aged 70-74 y, were recruited from the general population in Western Norway and underwent cognitive testing. A cognitive test battery included the Kendrick Object Learning Test, Trail Making Test (part A), modified versions of the Digit Symbol Test, Block Design, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Controlled Oral Word Association Test. Poor cognitive performance was defined as a score in the highest decile for the Trail Making Test and in the lowest decile for all other tests.


RESULTS
Subjects whose mean daily intake of fish and fish products was >/=10 g/d (n = 1951) had significantly better mean test scores and a lower prevalence of poor cognitive performance than did those whose intake was <10 g/d (n = 80). The associations between total intake of seafood and cognition were strongly dose-dependent; the maximum effect was observed at an intake of approximately 75 g/d. Most cognitive functions were influenced by fish intake. The effect was more pronounced for nonprocessed lean fish and fatty fish.


CONCLUSIONS
In the elderly, a diet high in fish and fish products is associated with better cognitive performance in a dose-dependent manner.
Nurk
Eha
E
Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, UK.
Drevon
Christian A
CA
Refsum
Helga
H
Solvoll
Kari
K
Vollset
Stein E
SE
Nygård
Ottar
O
Nygaard
Harald A
HA
Engedal
Knut
K
Tell
Grethe S
GS
Smith
A David
AD
D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D017747:Seafood
D005395:Fish Oils