Neurovascular Coupling
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of EPA- and DHA-enriched omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary supplements on cerebral blood flow during a series of cognitive, mathematical subtraction tasks and subjective ratings of task difficulty before and after 26 weeks of supplementation
Interventions
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTOlive oil Placebo
olive oil
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTEPA-rich
EPA-rich omega-3 oil
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTDHA-rich
DHA-rich omega-3 oil
Sponsors
Pronova BioPharma
Northumbria University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
25 Years to 49 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Aged 25 to 49 years inclusive * Males and females * Self-report of good health
Exclusion criteria
* English is not first language (some of the cognitive tasks have only been validated in native English speakers) * Habitual consumption of oily fish exceeds one fish meal per week (see Appendix I) * Habitual consumption of omega-3 dietary supplements in the previous 6 months * Habitual use of dietary supplements within the last month (defined as more than 3 consecutive days or 4 days in total; some supplements that do not impact upon cognitive function e.g. garlic, protein, calcium are allowed. Please check with the research team if you are unsure) * Are a smoker or consume any nicotine replacement products (e.g. chewing gum, e-cigarettes) * Food allergies or sensitivities to any of the ingredients contained in the investigational product or any other foodstuff * Pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breast feeding * Body Mass Index outside of the range 18-35 kg/m2 * High blood pressure (systolic over 159 mm Hg or diastolic over 99 mm Hg) * Currently taking blood pressure medication * Currently taking blood thinning medication (e.g. aspirin, warfarin, heparin) * Have a respiratory disorder that requires regular medication (Note: participants with asthma who only take their medication occasionally/as required are eligible for this study) * Have frequent migraines that require medication (more than or equal to 1 per month) * History or current diagnosis of drug/alcohol abuse * History of kidney or liver disease, or other severe diseases of the gastrointestinal tract (e.g. iron accumulation, iron utilization disorders, hypercalcaemia, hypercalcaemia), that are likely to interfere with metabolism/absorption/secretion of the product under investigation * History of neurological or psychiatric illness (excluding depressive illness and anxiety) * History of head trauma * Sleep disturbances and/or are taking sleep aid medication * Blood disorders (e.g. anaemia, haemophilia, thrombocytosis) * Diagnosis of type I or type II diabetes * Heart disorder, or vascular illness * Current diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety * Over- or under-active thyroid * Chronic gastrointestinal problems (e.g. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, celiac disease) * Any known active infections * Diagnosed with syphilis, hepatitis, the Human T - lymphotropic virus or the Human Immunodeficiency Virus * Current or past breast cancer diagnosis and/or a mastectomy * Health condition that would prevent fulfilment of the study requirements * Currently participating in or in the past 4 weeks participated in other clinical or nutrition intervention studies
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cerebral Blood Flow | Participants are assessed pre and post 6 months of supplementation | Near Infrared Spectroscopy Outcomes for cerebral blood flow measurment |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Performance | Participants are assessed pre and post 6 months of supplementation | performance on numerical subtraction tasks |
| Subjective Task Difficulty | Participants are assessed pre and post 6 months of supplementation | participants rate how mentally challenging they find the cognitive tasks |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed