School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Clinical Nutrition Research Centre, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia.
Institute for Resilient Regions, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield Central, QLD 4300, Australia.
Nutrients. 2018 Oct 2;10(10):1413. doi: 10.3390/nu10101413.
Purported benefits of long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCn-3PUFA) for brain function may be attributable, at least in part, to improved cerebral perfusion. A pilot randomised controlled trial was undertaken to investigate effects of taking a DHA-rich fish oil supplement for 20 weeks on cerebrovascular function, mood and cognitive performance. Borderline hypertensives aged 40⁻85 years with low habitual LCn-3PUFA intake took four capsules/day of EPAX (1600 mg DHA + 400 mg EPA) or placebo (corn oil). Cerebrovascular function was assessed at baseline and after 20 weeks in 38 completers (19 on each supplement) using transcranial Doppler ultrasound of blood flow in the middle cerebral artery at rest and whilst performing a battery of cognitive tasks (neurovascular coupling). The primary outcome, cerebrovascular responsiveness (CVR) to hypercapnia, increased 26% ( = 0.024) in women; there was no change in men. In contrast, neurovascular coupling increased significantly ( = 0.01 for the overall response) in men only; the latter correlated with an increase of EPA in erythrocytes ( = 0.616, = 0.002). There was no associated improvement of mood or cognition in either men or women. These preliminary observations indicate that LCn-3PUFA supplementation has the potential to enhance blood flow in the brain in response to both hypercapnic and cognitive stimuli. Future studies should examine differential effects of EPA and DHA and take account of the gender differences in responsiveness to supplementation.
长链ω-3 多不饱和脂肪酸（LCn-3PUFA）对大脑功能的所谓益处可能至少部分归因于脑灌注的改善。进行了一项小型随机对照试验，以研究服用富含 DHA 的鱼油补充剂 20 周对脑血管功能、情绪和认知表现的影响。年龄在 40-85 岁、习惯性 LCn-3PUFA 摄入量低的边缘性高血压患者每天服用四粒 EPAX（1600mg DHA+400mg EPA）或安慰剂（玉米油）。38 名完成者（每组 19 名）在基线和 20 周后使用经颅多普勒超声评估大脑中动脉的血流在静息和执行一系列认知任务（神经血管耦联）时的脑血管功能。主要结果是，女性的脑血管反应性（CVR）对高碳酸血症增加了 26%（=0.024）；男性没有变化。相比之下，只有男性的神经血管耦合显著增加（整体反应=0.01）；后者与红细胞中 EPA 的增加相关（=0.616，=0.002）。男性和女性的情绪或认知都没有改善。这些初步观察表明，LCn-3PUFA 补充剂有可能增强大脑对高碳酸血症和认知刺激的血流反应。未来的研究应该检查 EPA 和 DHA 的不同作用，并考虑到对补充剂反应的性别差异。
