Improving Children's Attention with Omega-3 DHA
Attention: DHA may improve it in children
The docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) promotes the activity of brain areas in children associated with so-called "working memory". This emerges from a study conducted at the College of Medicine of the University of Cincinnati (United States), published by 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 results obtained add to other data from 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-3 for brain health and vision in children has been recognized by EFSA, the European Food Safety Authority. In relation to such confirmations, experts recommend the intake of:
- 100 milligrams per day of DHA for children aged between 7 and 24 months;
- 200 milligrams for pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers, an amount useful to guarantee the correct development of the child.
Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), another Omega 3, is also considered important for the brain development of youths up to 18 years old. However, no study had clarified the mechanisms by which DHA intake influences the activity of the human brain cortex, an important area for working memory. The latter is the part of memory that acts in the short term and is important for various cognitive processes, such as comprehension, reasoning, and learning.
Improving attention: DHA is the “right” ingredient
Researchers from Cincinnati, led by Robert McNamara, analyzed these mechanisms by evaluating the brain-level effect of DHA administration to a group of 33 healthy boys aged 8 to 10 years. The children were randomly assigned to one of 3 possible groups and for 8 weeks took 400 or 1,200 milligrams per day of this Omega-3 or a placebo. At the end of these 8 weeks, scientists measured the presence of DHA in red blood cell membranes. It emerged that, compared to baseline values, daily intake of 400 milligrams of the fatty acid increased its levels in membranes by 47%. In children who had received the higher dose, this increase was even 70%. Conversely, in boys who took the placebo, DHA levels in red blood cell membranes decreased by 11%. Brain activity changes were instead measured by subjecting the children to functional magnetic resonance imaging while they played a video game requiring high levels of attention. Thus, it was discovered that boys who had taken DHA were characterized by increased activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a brain area associated with working memory. Researchers also observed changes in other brain areas, including the occipital cortex, which processes visual information, and the cerebellar cortex, involved in movement control.
Psychiatric diseases: the benefits of Omega-3
The results obtained in this research shed light on the action of DHA at the brain level, but the authors also highlight their importance for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying some psychiatric disorders. Indeed, some of these, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and depression, have previously 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
