Improvement in Digit Span in Juvenile Bipolar Disorder following Supplementation with Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of LCn-PUFA supplementation on digit span ability in children and adolescents with juvenile bipolar disorder (JBD). Methods: Fifteen participants with JBD (9–18 years) consumed LCn-3PUFA supplements containing 360 mg/day eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 1560 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) for 6 weeks in an open-label preliminary study. Digit span and red blood cell (RBC) LCn-3PUFA concentrations were assessed prior to and following supplementation. Results: Digit Backwards and Scaled Overall Digit Span significantly improved following supplementation with EPA and DHA. Digit Forwards did not improve following EPA and DHA supplementation. RBC DHA was significantly positively correlated to longest digit span backwards and overall digit span scaled scores. Conclusion: Supplementation with LCn-3PUFA was associated with improvements in neurocognitive functioning. Further studies should examine other neuropsychological outcomes in a larger sample in a randomised controlled trial (RCT) and whether cognitive deficits associated with JBD can be prevented and/or improved.