title: Omega-3 Fatty Acids for Depression in Multiple Sclerosis: A Randomized Pilot Study.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis is the most common chronic disabling disease in the central nervous system in young to middle aged adults. Depression is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) affecting between 50–60% of patients. Pilot studies in unipolar depression report an improvement in depression when omega-3 fatty acids are given with antidepressants. The objective of this study was to investigate whether omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, as an augmentation therapy, improves treatment-resistant major depressive disorder (MDD) in people with MS. We performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids at six grams per day over three months. The primary outcome was a 50% or greater improvement on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). Thirty-nine participants were randomized and thirty-one completed the 3-month intervention. Improvement on MADRS between groups was not significantly different at the 3-month end point with 47.4% in the omega-3 fatty acid group and 45.5% in the placebo group showing 50% or greater improvement (p = 0.30). Omega-3 fatty acids as an augmentation therapy for treatment-resistant depression in MS was not significantly different than placebo in this pilot trial. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation at the dose given was well-tolerated over 3 months.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00122954.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shinto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.|Research Service and VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence-West, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gail
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marracci
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States of America.
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bumgarner
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murchison
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Senders
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States of America.|Research Service and VA Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence-West, Portland, OR, United States of America.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bourdette
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications*; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3