Effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on psychophysiological symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in accident survivors: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Psychophysiological symptoms (e.g., pounding heart) are known to be a prominent feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have a beneficial potential pharmacological effect of preventing these psychophysiological symptoms, no clinical data is yet available. Therefore, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Japanese accident survivors.



A total of 83 participants received either omega-3 PUFAs (1470mg docosahexaenoic acid and 147mg eicosapentaenoic acid per day) or placebo within 10 days of the accidental injury. After 12-week supplementation, participants performed script-driven imagery of their traumatic event during monitoring of their heart rate and skin conductance.



Analysis revealed that heart rate during both rest and script-driven imagery was significantly lower in the omega-3 group than the placebo group, whereas baseline heart rate was comparable between the two groups.



The present trial was conducted at a single-center in Japan and psychophysiological symptoms of PTSD in most participants were not serious.



These findings suggest that post-trauma supplementation of omega-3 PUFAs might be effective for the secondary prevention of psychophysiological symptoms of PTSD.
Division of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Kita 14 Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0814, Japan; CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan.
Kenta
K
Matsumura
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; School of Distance Learning, Department of Human Sciences, Musashino University, 1-1-20 Shin-machi, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 202-8585, Japan.
Hiroko
H
Noguchi
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, National Disaster Medical Center, 3256 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-0014, Japan; Department of Mental Health Policy and Evaluation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawahigashi-cho, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8553, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Nishi
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; (f)Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
Kei
K
Hamazaki
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; (g)Toyama Jonan Onsen Daini Hospital, 1-13-6 Taromaru-nishi-machi, Toyama, Toyama 939-8271, Japan.
Tomohito
T
Hamazaki
CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, National Disaster Medical Center, 3256 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo 190-0014, Japan; (h)Division of Health Care Research, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0045, Japan. Electronic address: yumatsuo@ncc.go.jp.
Yutaka J
YJ
Matsuoka
D000059:Accidents / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid
Arachidonic acid; Autonomic nerve; Aversive memory; Fish oil; Physiologic measures; n-3