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

Title
Improvement in Digit Span in Juvenile Bipolar Disorder following Supplementation with Long Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids
Publication Date
2009-11
Author(s)
Hanstock, Tanya
Hirneth, SJ
Hazell, PL
Kable, CJ
Clayton, EH
Type of document
Conference Publication
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Wiley-Blackwell Publishing, Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1111/j.1399-5618.2009.00751.x
UNE publication id
une:8488
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.
Link
Citation
Bipolar Disorders, 11(7), p. 781-781
ISSN
1399-5618
1398-5647
Start page
781
End page
781

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