Research Summary Archives

Brain function depends on having all its systems working well together. Damage to the brain from injury or disease, impaired production of transmitter molecules or insufficient amounts of substances needed for brain responses are some ways brain function can go awry. DHA, a long-chain omega-3 fatty ...

The importance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in brain development and learning is well known. Less clear are the effects of these fatty acids on specific outcomes, such as language development. Some studies have reported no differences in vocabulary or language development with h...

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a common childhood behavioral disorder, may be increasing. Worldwide, ADHD affects about 8% to 12% of school-age children, with some estimates closer to 5%. In the U.S., the prevalence increased from 7.5% to 9.0% from 2001 to 2007. As the criteria for...

The intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs (n-3 LC-PUFAs) in most developed countries with low consumption of fish and seafood is well below the amounts recommended for adults and women of childbearing age. For example, in the U.S., adult intakes of n-3 LC-PUFAs are approximately 100 mg/day, with women ...

The importance of long-chain PUFAs, especially arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids, in fetal and infant development is now well recognized, yet the consumption of fish and seafoods, the primary food source of the omega-3 long-chain PUFAs (n-3 LC-PUFAs), is clouded by concerns about the development...

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral disorders in childhood and its occurrence appears to be increasing. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that parent-reported ADHD increased 20% from 2001-2003 to 2007-2009, from 7.5% to 9.0...

Much is known about the pathology of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia in older adults, but little is clear about what triggers the condition and how it develops. Why do some people develop the disease and others do not? Diagnosis is only known with certainty from postmortem anal...

Traumatic spinal cord injury has severe consequences for survivors including pain, paralysis and impaired sensory and motor function and various effects in the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and autonomic systems. The consequences depend on the site and extent of the injury. Surgical decompr...

By Marlene P. Freeman, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass. The effects of nutrition and dietary composition have been studied in the area of mental health.  Epidemiological studies have focused either on cross-sectional analyses or longitudinal analysis on...

Although the need for sufficient long-chain PUFAs to meet the postnatal developmental needs of pre- and term infants is well recognized, trials aimed at demonstrating the neurodevelopmental benefits of providing infants with abundant LC-PUFAs are inconclusive. For example, preterm infants fed 1% DHA...

Depressive symptoms and anxiety are common occurrences among patients with coronary heart disease. These conditions adversely affect the prognosis of heart disease patients and increase the risk of cognitive decline. For example, one study reported that the risk of major adverse cardiac events over ...

Depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment may go hand in hand. If so, treatments for both conditions may be necessary for improving the quality of life and daily functioning of these individuals. A study conducted in the U.S. among cognitively normal 75-year-old adults reported that greater depre...