OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to investigate the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-rich and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich supplementations on cognitive performance and functional brain activation. DESIGN: A double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design, with a 30-day washout period between two supplementation periods (EPA-rich and DHA-rich) was employed. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained during performance of Stroop and Spatial Working Memory tasks prior to supplementation and after each 30-day supplementation period. RESULTS: Both supplementations resulted in reduced ratio of arachidonic acid to EPA levels. Following the EPA-rich supplementation, there was a reduction in functional activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex and an increase in activation in the right precentral gyrus coupled with a reduction in reaction times on the colour-word Stroop task. By contrast, the DHA-rich supplementation led to a significant increase in functional activation in the right precentral gyrus during the Stroop and Spatial Working Memory tasks, but there was no change in behavioural performance. CONCLUSIONS: By extending the theory of neural efficiency to the within-subject neurocognitive effects of supplementation, we concluded that following the EPA-rich supplementation, participants' brains worked 'less hard' and achieved a better cognitive performance than prior to supplementation. Conversely, the increase in functional activation and lack of improvement in time or accuracy of cognitive performance following DHA-rich supplementation may indicate that DHA-rich supplementation is less effective than EPA-rich supplementation in enhancing neurocognitive functioning after a 30-day supplementation period in the same group of individuals.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to investigate the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)-rich and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich supplementations on cognitive performance and functional brain activation. DESIGN: A double-blind, counterbalanced, crossover design, with a 30-day washout period between two supplementation periods (EPA-rich and DHA-rich) was employed. Functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained during performance of Stroop and Spatial Working Memory tasks prior to supplementation and after each 30-day supplementation period. RESULTS: Both supplementations resulted in reduced ratio of arachidonic acid to EPA levels. Following the EPA-rich supplementation, there was a reduction in functional activation in the left anterior cingulate cortex and an increase in activation in the right precentral gyrus coupled with a reduction in reaction times on the colour-word Stroop task. By contrast, the DHA-rich supplementation led to a significant increase in functional activation in the right precentral gyrus during the Stroop and Spatial Working Memory tasks, but there was no change in behavioural performance. CONCLUSIONS: By extending the theory of neural efficiency to the within-subject neurocognitive effects of supplementation, we concluded that following the EPA-rich supplementation, participants' brains worked 'less hard' and achieved a better cognitive performance than prior to supplementation. Conversely, the increase in functional activation and lack of improvement in time or accuracy of cognitive performance following DHA-rich supplementation may indicate that DHA-rich supplementation is less effective than EPA-rich supplementation in enhancing neurocognitive functioning after a 30-day supplementation period in the same group of individuals.
Authors: Robert K McNamara; Ruth H Asch; Diana M Lindquist; Robert Krikorian Journal: Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids Date: 2017-05-09 Impact factor: 4.006
Authors: Michael Wainberg; Andrew T Magis; John C Earls; Jennifer C Lovejoy; Nasa Sinnott-Armstrong; Gilbert S Omenn; Leroy Hood; Nathan D Price Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2020-08-19 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Annie T Ginty; Matthew F Muldoon; Dora C H Kuan; Brittney Schirda; Thomas W Kamarck; J Richard Jennings; Stephen B Manuck; Peter J Gianaros Journal: Psychosom Med Date: 2017-06 Impact factor: 4.312
Authors: Bo Qin; Brenda L Plassman; Lloyd J Edwards; Barry M Popkin; Linda S Adair; Michelle A Mendez Journal: J Nutr Date: 2014-07-30 Impact factor: 4.798
Authors: Regina L Leckie; David E Lehman; Peter J Gianaros; Kirk I Erickson; Susan M Sereika; Dora C H Kuan; Stephen B Manuck; Christopher M Ryan; Jeffrey K Yao; Matthew F Muldoon Journal: Psychol Med Date: 2019-10-04 Impact factor: 7.723