Effects of fish oil supplementation on neural activity, cardiovascular functioning and cognitive performance

Fish oil supplementation containing DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids has been shown to play an important role in the human nervous and vascular system. Omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with improved cognitive performance such as enhanced attentional skills and decreased reaction times. Recent studies suggest that there is improved cognitive performance in a population with ADHD, Alzheimer’s disease and metabolic disorders after omega-3 supplementation. Results are however controversial and seem to depend on the EPA/DHA ratio contained in the supplementation, the length of the supplementation period, the study design and the type of cognitive tasks utilized. In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled, parallel study, a group of 60 healthy volunteers and a population of 60 adults with ADHD will be randomly distributed into three diet groups and will be given either an EPA-rich diet (EPA/DHA ratio 4.5:1), a DHA-rich diet (EPA/DHA ratio 1:4) or a placebo treatment. The supplementation period will be three or six months long. Cognitive performance, brain activity and vascular parameters will be assessed using modern techniques, such as computer-generated and computer-measured tasks, fMRI, Visual Evoked Potentials (VEP) and Pulse Wave Velocity System (SphygmoCor). VEP will determine the speed of conduction of electrical responses through the brain and reflects the integrity/efficiency of neural tissues in response to visual stimuli. In every diet group a smaller group of participants (11-12 participants) will be randomly selected to perform part of their tasks while their brains are being scanned with an MRI scanner using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion weighting imaging (DWI) techniques.