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Preliminary Study of Fish Oil and Dementia

The Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Monotherapy in Alzheimer's Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: a Preliminary Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT00628017
Enrollment
46
Registered
2008-03-04
Start date
2003-01-31
Completion date
2005-03-31
Last updated
2008-03-04

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

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment

Keywords

polyunsaturated fatty acids, Alzheimer's disease, mild cognitive impairment, fish oil, cognition

Brief summary

This preliminary study is aimed to investigate whether it is feasible to conduct a study to use fish oil compared to the placebo(olive oil) in people with cognitive impairment. We will also explore whether fish oil has better efficacy in some clinical aspects in people with cognitive impairment during 24 weeks intervention. The major clinical outcome will be: 1. general clinical impression 2. cognitive function

Detailed description

Despite some positive findings from observational and animal studies, the effects of n-3 PUFA administration on cognitive impairment in humans have received little evaluation to date. Although some clinical trials of fish oil have been reported, the results are inconsistent. Given these inconsistent findings, we carried out a preliminary study to investigate the effect of fish oil monotherapy on cognitive function and general clinical condition in patients with cognitive impairment.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTomega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( EPA+DHA)

Group 1 received omega-3 PUFAs as 3 capsules twice daily (total daily omega-3 fatty acid dosage of 1080 mg of EPA and 720 mg of DHA). Group 2 received three identical placebo capsules twice daily which contained olive oil esters. Identical gelatin capsules were used. Both treatment and placebo capsules were vacuum deodorized and supplemented with tertiary-butyl hydroquinone, 0.2 mg/g, and tocopherols, 2 mg/g, as antioxidants. The source of the omega-3 fatty acids was menhaden fish body oil concentrate.

Sponsors

Department of Health, Executive Yuan, R.O.C. (Taiwan)
CollaboratorOTHER_GOV
Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taiwan
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
55 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* fulfilled the diagnosis of AD according to the American Psychiatric Association, DSM-IV criteria, with mild or moderate severity( defined by an Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score between 10 and 26, and a Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) score of 1 or 2.) * or amnesic MCI( defined as (1). Subjective memory impairment by the patient and /or an informant, (2) objective memory impairment falling at least 1.5 standard deviations or more below age- and education-specific norms on the Logical Memory delayed-recall score from the Wechsler Memory Scale III (3) relatively normal performance in other cognitive domains, (4) no impairment in activities of daily living, and (5) failure to meet DSM-IV criteria for dementia.)

Exclusion criteria

* inadequate motor or sensory capacity to comply with testing * any ischemic lesion on brain CT reported by the radiologist or a modified Hachinski Ischemic Scale score \>4 * a 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS)score \> 13 * abnormal levels of folic acid, vitamin B12, or thyroid function * severe comorbidity, including another neurodegenerative diseases, another chronic debilitating neurological illness (e.g. cerebral palsy), brain trauma, tumors, severe pulmonary, renal, liver disease, cardiac disease, or autoimmune disease, or conditions expected to cause death within one year. * Participants with a diagnosis of alcoholism, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder were excluded. * Participants receiving cholinesterase agents during the screen or taking NSAID on a long-term basis

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frame
the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Scale (CIBIC-plus)24 weeks
the cognitive portion of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog)24 weeks

Secondary

MeasureTime frame
Mini Mental Status Examination (MMSE) scores24 weeks
17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HDRS)24 weeks
adverse events24 weeks

Countries

Taiwan

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026