McNamara Robert K, Carlson Susan E
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH 45267-0559, USA.
Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids. 2006 Oct-Nov;75(4-5):329-49. doi: 10.1016/j.plefa.2006.07.010. Epub 2006 Sep 1.
The principle omega-3 fatty acid in brain, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), accumulates in the brain during perinatal cortical expansion and maturation. Animal studies have demonstrated that reductions in perinatal brain DHA accrual are associated with deficits in neuronal arborization, multiple indices of synaptic pathology including deficits in serotonin and mesocorticolimbic dopamine neurotransmission, neurocognitive deficits, and elevated behavioral indices of anxiety, aggression, and depression. In primates and humans, preterm delivery is associated with deficits in fetal cortical DHA accrual, and children/adolescents born preterm exhibit deficits in cortical gray matter maturation, neurocognitive deficits particularly in the realm of attention, and increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and schizophrenia. Individuals diagnosed with ADHD or schizophrenia exhibit deficits in cortical gray matter maturation, and medications found to be efficacious in the treatment of these disorders increase cortical and striatal dopamine neurotransmission. These associations in conjunction with intervention trials showing enhanced cortical visual acuity and cognitive outcomes in preterm and term infants fed DHA, suggest that perinatal deficits in brain DHA accrual may represent a preventable neurodevelopmental risk factor for the subsequent emergence of psychopathology.
大脑中的主要ω-3脂肪酸二十二碳六烯酸（DHA）在围产期皮质扩张和成熟过程中在大脑中积累。动物研究表明，围产期大脑DHA积累减少与神经元分支缺陷、多种突触病理学指标相关，包括血清素和中脑皮质边缘多巴胺神经传递缺陷、神经认知缺陷，以及焦虑、攻击和抑郁行为指标升高。在灵长类动物和人类中，早产与胎儿皮质DHA积累不足有关，早产出生的儿童/青少年表现出皮质灰质成熟缺陷、神经认知缺陷，尤其是在注意力方面，以及注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）和精神分裂症的风险增加。被诊断患有ADHD或精神分裂症的个体表现出皮质灰质成熟缺陷，而发现对这些疾病有效的药物会增加皮质和纹状体多巴胺神经传递。这些关联以及干预试验表明，喂食DHA的早产和足月婴儿的皮质视力和认知结果得到改善，这表明围产期大脑DHA积累不足可能是随后出现精神病理学的一个可预防的神经发育风险因素。
