Improving children's attention span with Omega-3 DHA

Warning: DHA could improve it in children

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) promotes activity in areas of children's brains associated with so-called " workingmemory." This is the finding of a study conducted at the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati (United States), published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The research was the first to examine the effect of DHA intake on the attention circuits of the human brain by visualizing its activity with functional magnetic resonance imaging. The findings add to other data obtained in preclinical and clinical studies. Taken together, these findings indicate that dietary intake of this fatty acid significantly modulates the activity of the cerebral cortex during activities that require maintaining high attention.

Omega-3 and childhood

The importance of Omega-3s for children's brain health and vision has been recognized by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority. In connection with these confirmations, experts recommend the intake of:

• 100 milligrams per day of DHA for children aged 7 to 24 months;
• 200 milligrams for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding their child, which is a useful amount to ensure the proper development of the child.

Alpha linolenic acid (ALA), another Omega 3, is also considered important for brain development in children up to age 18. However, no study had elucidated the mechanisms by which DHA intake affects the activity of the cortex of the human brain, an area important for memory at work. The latter is the part of memory that acts in the short term and is important for several cognitive processes, such as comprehension, reasoning, and learning.

Improving attention: DHA is the right "ingredient"

Cincinnati researchers, led by Robert McNamara, analyzed these mechanisms by evaluating thebrain-level effect of DHA administration to a group of 33 healthy male boys aged 8 to 10 years. The children were randomly assigned to one of 3 possible groups and for 8 weeks took either 400 or 1,200 milligrams per day of this Omega-3 or a placebo. At the end of these 8 weeks, the scientists measured the presence of DHA in red blood cell membranes. They found that, compared with measurable values at the beginning of the study, daily intake of 400 milligrams of the fatty acid increased its levels in the membranes by 47 percent. In children who had received the highest dose, this increase was as high as 70%. In contrast, in the children who had taken the placebo, the amount of DHA in red blood cell membranes had decreased by 11%. Changes in brain activity, on the other hand, were measured by subjecting the children to a functional MRI while they competed in a video game that requires them to maintain a high level of attention. Thus, it was found that the children who had taken DHA were characterized by increased activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain associated with working memory. The researchers also found changes in other brain areas, including the occipital cortex, which processes visual information, and the cerebellar cortex, which is involved in movement control.

Psychiatric diseases: the benefits of omega-3s

The results obtained in this research shed light on the action carried out by DHA at the brain level, but the authors emphasize their importance also for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying some psychiatric disorders. Indeed, some of these, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression, have in the past been associated with DHA deficiencies.  

Source 

1. McNamara RK, Able J, Jandacek R, Rider T, Tso P, Eliassen JC, Alfieri D, Weber W, Jarvis K, DelBello MP, Strakowski SM, Adler CM, "Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation increases prefrontal cortex activation during sustained attention in healthy boys: a placebo-controlled, dose-ranging, functional magnetic resonance imaging study," Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Apr;91(4):1060-7. Epub 2010 Feb 3