Tony Macaron1, Kelly Virecoulon Giudici2, Gene L Bowman3, Alan Sinclair4, Elie Stephan5, Bruno Vellas6, Philipe de Souto Barreto6. 1. Gerontopole of Toulouse, Institute of Ageing, Toulouse University Hospital (CHU Toulouse), Toulouse, France; Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, University of Balamand, Beirut, Lebanon. Electronic address: tonymacaron@hotmail.com. 2. Gerontopole of Toulouse, Institute of Ageing, Toulouse University Hospital (CHU Toulouse), Toulouse, France. 3. Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Neurology and NIA-Layton Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Portland, USA. 4. Foundation for Diabetes Research in Older People (fDROP) and King's College, London, UK. 5. Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, University of Balamand, Beirut, Lebanon. 6. Gerontopole of Toulouse, Institute of Ageing, Toulouse University Hospital (CHU Toulouse), Toulouse, France; UPS/Inserm UMR1027, University of Toulouse III, Toulouse, France.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Human neurodevelopment is complete by the 4th decade of life at which point brain atrophy ensues with variable rate and regionality into old age. Literally all regions of the brain experience atrophy with older age, however the pattern and rate of atrophy can dictate the behavioral consequences (i.e., cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease). Substantial research has aimed to discover the reasons why some people experience greater morphologic changes that produce undesirable consequences with aging and how it may be prevented. One possible explanation is diet, particularly fish consumption and the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3) concentrated in fish oil. This narrative review examines the available evidence on the association between omega-3 and brain volume in non-demented older adults. METHODS: A PubMed search of the literature was conducted in search of studies that investigated the associations of omega-3 on brain morphology and volume in cognitively intact older adults. Inclusion criteria were: populations of adults aged 45 years or over, who were cognitively intact, free of any central nervous system disease, and free of advanced structural brain atrophy. Study participants had to have DHA and EPA levels measured either by blood testing or scoring of dietary intake. There were no restrictions to dates of publication. Studies including demented participants, or participants with substantial white or grey matter atrophy visible on magnetic resonance imaging were excluded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The search identified only 12 studies, 8 of which were cross-sectional observational studies, 3 longitudinal observational studies, and 1 randomized controlled trial published between 2007 and 2019. The largest amount of evidence indicated that the hippocampus was most frequently involved in this association, with a higher volume associated with higher omega-3 levels. Larger total grey matter, total brain volume, and lower white matter lesion volume were also associated with higher omega-3 among four of the reviewed studies. However, most studies reviewed provided mixed findings regarding the presence or absence of the association of interest, and the findings were observed to be brain region-dependent. Current evidence is still insufficient to formulate recommendations for omega-3 intake to support brain health specifically.
INTRODUCTION:Human neurodevelopment is complete by the 4th decade of life at which point brain atrophy ensues with variable rate and regionality into old age. Literally all regions of the brain experience atrophy with older age, however the pattern and rate of atrophy can dictate the behavioral consequences (i.e., cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease). Substantial research has aimed to discover the reasons why some people experience greater morphologic changes that produce undesirable consequences with aging and how it may be prevented. One possible explanation is diet, particularly fish consumption and the intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3) concentrated in fish oil. This narrative review examines the available evidence on the association between omega-3 and brain volume in non-demented older adults. METHODS: A PubMed search of the literature was conducted in search of studies that investigated the associations of omega-3 on brain morphology and volume in cognitively intact older adults. Inclusion criteria were: populations of adults aged 45 years or over, who were cognitively intact, free of any central nervous system disease, and free of advanced structural brain atrophy. Study participants had to have DHA and EPA levels measured either by blood testing or scoring of dietary intake. There were no restrictions to dates of publication. Studies including demented participants, or participants with substantial white or grey matter atrophy visible on magnetic resonance imaging were excluded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The search identified only 12 studies, 8 of which were cross-sectional observational studies, 3 longitudinal observational studies, and 1 randomized controlled trial published between 2007 and 2019. The largest amount of evidence indicated that the hippocampus was most frequently involved in this association, with a higher volume associated with higher omega-3 levels. Larger total grey matter, total brain volume, and lower white matter lesion volume were also associated with higher omega-3 among four of the reviewed studies. However, most studies reviewed provided mixed findings regarding the presence or absence of the association of interest, and the findings were observed to be brain region-dependent. Current evidence is still insufficient to formulate recommendations for omega-3 intake to support brain health specifically.
Authors: Aleix Sala-Vila; Claudia L Satizabal; Nathan Tintle; Debora Melo van Lent; Ramachandran S Vasan; Alexa S Beiser; Sudha Seshadri; William S Harris Journal: Nutrients Date: 2022-06-09 Impact factor: 6.706
Authors: Joseph A Araujo; Sergi Segarra; Jessica Mendes; Andrea Paradis; Melissa Brooks; Sandy Thevarkunnel; Norton W Milgram Journal: Front Vet Sci Date: 2022-07-13