Project DyAdd: Fatty acids and cognition in adults with dyslexia, ADHD, or both.
Both attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia are suggested to co-occur with altered fatty acid (FA) metabolism, but it is unknown how FAs are associated with the cognitive domains that characterize these disorders. In the project DyAdd, we investigated the associations between FAs in serum phospholipids and phonological processing, reading, spelling, arithmetic, executive functions, and attention. Healthy controls (n=36), adults with ADHD (n=26), dyslexia (n=36), or both (n=9) were included in the study. FAs included saturated, monounsaturated, total polyunsaturated, n-3, and n-6 FAs, together with n-6/n-3, AA/EPA, and LA/ALA ratios. When all the study subjects were included in the analyses, especially polyunsaturated FAs (PUFAs) were positively associated with cognition, but reading was least associated with FAs. These associations were modulated by gender, intelligence, n-3 PUFA intake, and group. Accordingly, within the ADHD group, only few associations emerged with PUFAs, n-6 PUFAs, and cognitive domains, whereas in the dyslexia group the more prevalent associations appeared with PUFAs and n-3 PUFAs.
Laasonen
Marja
M
Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9 (Siltavuorenpenger 20), FIN-00014, Helsinki, Finland. Marja.Laasonen@helsinki.fi
Hokkanen
Laura
L
Leppämäki
Sami
S
Tani
Pekka
P
Erkkilä
Arja T
AT
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000097:blood*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011932:Reading
D005227:Fatty Acids; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3