The Effect of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Cognitive Performance and Mood

NCT ID: NCT00615277

Last Updated: 2008-02-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 82 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2006-10-31

Brief Summary

The study investigates whether dietary intake of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids affects learning and mood of healthy young adults.

Detailed Description

The long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) of the omega-3 series and AA (arachidonic acid) of the omega-6 series are building blocks of all cell membranes and are found in high concentrations in retina and brain. Food sources of LA and ALA are vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Since low conversion rates from ALA to DHA are a characteristic of human metabolism, adequate dietary provision with the long-chained omega-3 molecules depends primarily on individual eating habits. While AA is abundant in meat and dairy products, EPA and DHA are found in noteworthy concentrations only in certain species of fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel.

The study investigates whether participants receiving an omega-3 supplement over a period of 4 month, perform better on a series of cognitive tests, than the participants allocated to the placebo group.

Conditions

Healthy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE
• Blinding Strategy: TRIPLE

Study Groups

1

1: omega-3 fatty acid supplement

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Omega-3 fatty acids

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

600 mg EPA 120mg DHA daily, 16 weeks

2

2: olive oil

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Omega-3 fatty acids

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

600 mg EPA 120mg DHA daily, 16 weeks

Interventions

Omega-3 fatty acids

600 mg EPA 120mg DHA daily, 16 weeks

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy young adults

Exclusion Criteria

• Coagulation disorder

• Minimum Eligible Age: 16 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 24 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Philipps University Marburg

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

Cognitive Drug Research Ltd

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Ulm

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

University of Ulm

Principal Investigators

Katharina A Widenhorn-Mueller, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Ulm

Ulrike Weiland, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Ulm

Other Identifiers

213/2005

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: secondary_id

213/2005

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id