PLoS ONE：ω3脂肪酸可增强年轻人的工作记忆力

ω3必需脂肪酸是在鱼类和家畜类食物中的一种脂肪酸，其对于人类机体功能的正常发挥必不可少，然而截至目前，其对于成年个体的工作记忆力的影响并没有研究过，近日，来自匹兹堡大学的研究者就开展了这项研究，研究表明，通过增加ω3脂肪酸的摄入，可以有效改善年龄在18-25岁之间健康成年个体的工作记忆力。相关研究成果刊登于国际杂志PLoS One上。

研究者以各种族健康男性和女性个体为研究对象，在长达六个月的时间里增加其食物中ω3的深入，这些参与者通过电话和门诊方式每月进行监测。在ω3补充物摄入之前，这些参与者都会进行正电子成象术以及对其血样进行分析，随后会对其进行相应的工作记忆相关检测。

在6个月的实验后，所有参与者都会再次完成相关的检测项目，结果显示，在ω3补充物摄入后，参与者的工作记忆力发生了明显的增强。

尽管ω3对年轻个体的效应值得深入研究，但是研究者希望深入研究和ω3调节相关的大脑作用机制，前期研究表明，从饮食中移除ω3就会降低大脑多巴胺的储存量以及降低大脑纹状体水泡单胺运输器。

研究者Narendarn说，通过增加饮食中ω3脂肪酸的摄入的确可以增强年轻个体的认知能力，这项研究非常有趣而且有意义。通过对动物模型的研究揭示了影响ω3脂肪酸的大脑机制或许对青少年、成年个体的影响和对老年个体的影响不一样。研究小组后期会继续进行深入研究。

编译自：Omega-3 Intake Heightens Working Memory in Healthy Young Adults

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046832
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Improved Working Memory but No Effect on Striatal Vesicular Monoamine Transporter Type 2 after Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Supplementation

Rajesh Narendran1,2*, William G. Frankle1,2, Neale S. Mason1, Matthew F. Muldoon3, Bita Moghaddam4

Studies in rodents indicate that diets deficient in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n–3 PUFA) lower dopamine neurotransmission as measured by striatal vesicular monoamine transporter type 2 (VMAT2) density and amphetamine-induced dopamine release. This suggests that dietary supplementation with fish oil might increase VMAT2 availability, enhance dopamine storage and release, and improve dopamine-dependent cognitive functions such as working memory. To investigate this mechanism in humans, positron emission tomography (PET) was used to measure VMAT2 availability pre- and post-supplementation of n–3 PUFA in healthy individuals. Healthy young adult subjects were scanned with PET using [11C]-(+)-α-dihydrotetrabenzine (DTBZ) before and after six months of n–3 PUFA supplementation (Lovaza, 2 g/day containing docosahexaenonic acid, DHA 750 mg/d and eicosapentaenoic acid, EPA 930 mg/d). In addition, subjects underwent a working memory task (n-back) and red blood cell membrane (RBC) fatty acid composition analysis pre- and post-supplementation. RBC analysis showed a significant increase in both DHA and EPA post-supplementation. In contrast, no significant change in [11C]DTBZ binding potential (BPND) in striatum and its subdivisions were observed after supplementation with n–3 PUFA. No correlation was evident between n–3 PUFA induced change in RBC DHA or EPA levels and change in [11C]DTBZ BPND in striatal subdivisions. However, pre-supplementation RBC DHA levels was predictive of baseline performance (i.e., adjusted hit rate, AHR on 3-back) on the n-back task (y = 0.19+0.07, r2 = 0.55, p = 0.009). In addition, subjects AHR performance improved on 3-back post-supplementation (pre 0.65±0.27, post 0.80±0.15, p = 0.04). The correlation between n-back performance, and DHA levels are consistent with reports in which higher DHA levels is related to improved cognitive performance. However, the lack of change in [11C]DBTZ BPND indicates that striatal VMAT2 regulation is not the mechanism of action by which n–3 PUFA improves cognitive performance.