title: Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and cognition in VLBW infants at 8 years: an RCT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that supplementation with the long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (AA) to very low birth weight (VLBW) infants would improve long-term cognitive functions and influence neuroanatomical volumes and cerebral cortex measured by MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  The current study is a follow-up of a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study of supplementation with high-dose DHA (0.86%) and AA (0.91%) to 129 VLBW infants fed human milk. Ninety-eight children participated at 8 years follow-up and completed a broad battery of cognitive tests. Eighty-one children had cerebral MRI scans of acceptable quality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the intervention group and the control group on any of the cognitive measures. Equally, MRI data on segmental brain volumes and cerebral cortex volume, area, and thickness suggested no overall group effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial with supplementation of DHA and AA to human milk fed VLBW infants investigating both cognitive functions and brain macrostructure measured by MRI. No cognitive or neuroanatomical effects of the supplementation were detected at 8 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Akershus University Hospital and Faculty Division AHUS, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and astrid.almaas@medisin.uio.no.
authors.forename: Astrid Nylander
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Almaas
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and.
authors.forename: Christian K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Tamnes
authors.affiliation: Akershus University Hospital and Faculty Division AHUS, Institute for Clinical Medicine.
authors.forename: Britt
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nakstad
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Henriksen
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and.
authors.forename: Kristine B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Walhovd
authors.affiliation: Research Group for Lifespan Changes in Brain and Cognition, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; and.
authors.forename: Anders M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Fjell
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Rikshospitalet, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Paulina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Due-Tønnessen
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and.
authors.forename: Christian A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Drevon
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and.
authors.forename: Per Ole
authors.initials: PO
authors.lastname: Iversen
mesh_terms: D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D016718:Arachidonic Acid