Abstract
The omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are crucial to brain development and can be altered, as etiologic explanatory cofactor, both in neurological and psychiatric conditions.
Aim: To describe the omega-3 and omega-6 LCPUFA serum pattern in both neurological and psychiatric patients.
Patients and Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients were recruited from June 2003 to December 2004. They were categorized into the following groups: Mild Mental Retardation (MR=16); Static Encephalopathy (SE=13); Progressive Encephalopathy (PE=8); Epilepsy (Ep=24); Pervasive disorder (PD=18); Attention Deficit and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD=20); and a mixed group with recurrent headache, febrile convulsions and soft neurological signs as a Control Group (CG=11). A serum sample was analysed by gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy. Then the total omega-3 and omega-6 LC-PUFA wt/wt percentage was calculated. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare every group to CG.
Results: 1) Omega-3: The MR group (Median=1.6; CI: 1–4.7) was significantly lower (U=39; p=0.015) than CG (Median=2.3; CI: 1.2–6.9). The SE group (Median=1.7; CI: 1.5–2.3) was significantly lower than CG (U=32; p=0.022). The PE group showed a near significance lower wt/wt % (Median=1.9; CI: 1.4–2.5) (U=23; p=0.091). The Ep, PD and ADHD groups did not show significant differences from CG.
2) Omega-6: The MR group (Median=34.3; CI: 25.1–36.3) was near significance lower (U=49; p=0.056) than CG (Median=38.84; CI: 33.60–41.54). The SE group (Median=33.2; CI: 22.9–35.8) was significantly lower than CG (U=30; p=0.015). The PE group was also significantly lower (Median=30.2; CI: 19.6–35.7) (U=12; p=0.007). Again Ep, PD and ADHD groups did not show significant differences from CG.
Conclusions: 1) the neurological patients except Ep tend to show omega3 and omega6 LCPUFA lower levels than controls. 2) the behavioural problem patients did not show any differences to the CG.
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Carratala, F., Cortes, E., Hidalgo, M. et al. 62 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Behavioural Disorders and Neurological Patients.. Pediatr Res 58, 365 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00091
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200508000-00091