Depression
Conditions
Keywords
depression, cognition, heart rate variability, omega-3 fatty acids, Depression (in remission) (vulnerability to depression)
Brief summary
The investigators recently found a positive effect of omega-3 supplements on cognitive function in healthy individuals after 4 weeks (J of Psychopharmacology 2009, 23: 831-840). The investigators hypothesize that 4 weeks consumption of omega-3 supplements in previously depressed individuals will positively affect their cognitive functions. Secondly, low Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Some studies have found low HRV in patients with depression. No studies have investigated the effects of omega-3 fatty acid supplements on Heart Rate Variability in individuals with a history of depression. The investigators will test the hypotheses that omega-3 supplements lead to an improvement of heart rate variability indices in healthy volunteers with a history of depression.
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTomega-3 fatty acids supplements (fish oil)
1.74g eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 0.25g docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPlacebo
softgel capsules (identical in appearance to fish oil capsules) containing olive oil. 3 capsules/day, 4 weeks
Sponsors
Leiden University Medical Center
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Dutch-speaking men and women * Normal weight (BMI between 18 and 27). * Regular diets, not containing fish more than once a week. * History of depression (at least one major depressive episode in the past).
Exclusion criteria
* Currently more than mildly depressed (BDI-II-NL score higher than 19, or score on the suicidality item of this scale higher than 1). * Current or past psychosis * Current substance abuse or past substance dependence * Smoking or current use of soft drugs (current = month prior to study till completion) * Any hard drug use (lifetime) * More than 3 alcoholic consumptions/day Participants will be asked to keep their dietary habits constant throughout the study.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cognition | 4 weeks | Battery of test measuring emotional and neutral information processing. Largest effect expected on Decision Making Test (cf. Antypa et al., 2009) and Emotion Recognition Test. |
| Heart Rate Variability | 4 weeks | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mood states | 4 weeks | Fatigue, Anger, Tension, Anxiety, Vigor (Profile of Mood States, self-report measure). Depressive symptoms. |
Countries
Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed