Omega-3 fatty acids and mild cognitive impairment in older adults

Effects of omega-3 fatty acids high in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) vs placebo on cognition and mood in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 1

Study type

Interventional

Source

ANZCTR

Registry ID

ACTRN12609000167268

Enrollment

Registered

2009-04-03

Start date

2009-02-18

Completion date

2009-08-14

Last updated

2020-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

This study aims to investigate effects of omega-3 fatty acids EPA vs DHA (1500mg per day of each, supplying total omega-3 fatty acids 1860mg and 1680mg per day, respectively) versus safflower oil placebo on cognition and mood in 120 older adults with mild cognitive impairment over 6 months at two sites, in South Australia and Queensland. We will be measuring erythrocyte fatty acid levels, cerebral blood flow and blood vessel reactivity via transcranial Doppler sonography (tcD) and carbogen (5% carbon dioxide, 95% oxgen) inhalation, telomere length as an indicator of chromosomal damage, apoE-4, homocysteine, B12 and folate (the latter in collaboration with the Oxford Project to Investigate Memory and Ageing (OPTIMA) Centre for dementia research and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Human Nutrition). At baseline we will be doing comparisons on these outcome measures with a group of 30 healthy controls in South Australia. We are also assessing relationships between social networks, physical activity and above biomarkers, and cognitive impairment.

Interventions

Six capsules containing omega-3 fatty acids plus Vitamin E, supplying a total of 360mg EPA + 1500mg DHA or 1500mg EPA + 180mg DHA per day for six months (26 weeks)

Study design

Allocation

Randomised controlled trial

Intervention model

Parallel

Primary purpose

Treatment

Masking

Blinded (masking used)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

65 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

Mild cognitive impairment (subjective memory loss over past 6 months; Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE) score > 24; Paired Associate Learning (PAL) score < 1.5 standard deviations from population mean and/or Demtect score between 9-12)

Exclusion criteria

Dementia and other neurological conditions, consumption of omega-3 fatty supplements within previous 3 months

Outcome results