title: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognition in a college-aged population.
abstract: The cognitive influences of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) remain unclear throughout the life span. Dietary n-3 PUFA appear cognitively beneficial prenatally and neuroprotective at later age; however, researchers using supplementation designs have reported disparate findings across age groups. Few studies have examined the cognitive impact of n-3 PUFA during young adulthood. This study assessed the cognitive effects of fish oil supplementation at college age, hypothesizing benefits on affect, executive control, inhibition, and verbal learning and memory. College-aged participants were assigned to active (n = 20, 5 men; age = 19.9, sage = 1.8) or placebo (n = 21, 7 men; age = 20.4, sage = 1.6) treatments, receiving fish oil (480 mg DHA/720 mg EPA) or coconut oil, respectively. Both groups completed four weeks of supplementation. At baseline and posttreatment, the researchers administered the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT; Lezak, 1995), Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT; Golden & Freshwater, 2002), Trail Making Test (TMT; Corrigan & Hinkeldey, 1987; Gaudino, Geisler, & Squires, 1995; Lezak, 1995), and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988). Repeated-measures ANOVAs indicated no benefits of fish oil on the SCWT, RAVLT Stages 1 to 5, or PANAS. An interaction occurred between condition and time of measurement (i.e., baseline and posttreatment) on RAVLT Stages 6 and 7, and placebo significantly improved TMT performance over fish oil. The benefits of n-3 PUFA on RAVLT performance derived more from depreciated placebo performance than improved performance due to fish oil. The placebo gain on TMT performance likely derived from a learning effect. Together, these results present limited cognitive benefits of n-3 PUFA at college age; however, the treatment may have been subtherapeutic, with a larger sample needed to generalize these results.
authors.affiliation: Psychology Division, Western Oregon University, OR, USA. jkarr@uvic.ca
authors.forename: Justin E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Karr
authors.forename: Tyler R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Grindstaff
authors.forename: Joel E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Alexander
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils