Table 3.
Summary of DHA/EPA dietary intervention trials in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the last 10 years.
| Reference | Clinical trials with MCI patients (n, mean age) |
Dosage of DHA/EPA per day | Trial duration and design | Measures | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [15] | Patients with MCI (23, 74 yrs) |
0.72 g DHA + 1.08 g EPA or placebo | 6 mths randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled trials |
ADAS-cog.; CIBIC plus | Significant improvement in ADAS-cog; in patients with MCI after omega-3 supplementation |
|
| |||||
| [16] | Patients with MCI (23, 68 yrs) |
240 mg DHA + 240 mg AA or placebo | 3 mths, placebo controlled trial |
Japanese version of RBANS (5 cognitive domains) | Improvement of immediate memory and attention in omega-3 supplemented group |
|
| |||||
| [17] | Elderly persons with MCI (36, 66 yrs) |
1.3 g DHA + 0.45 mg of EPA or placebo | 12 mths, randomized double-blinded placebo controlled trial |
RAVLT, MMSE, CDT, WAIS-R | Significant improvement in cognitive function in omega-3 supplemented group |
|
| |||||
| [18] | Elderly patients suffering from MCI (11, 85 yrs) |
1.4 g DHA + 572 g EPA or placebo | 3 mths, randomized double-blinded placebo controlled trial |
MMSE | Significant improvement in MMSE, semantic verbal fluency, and olfactory sensitivity assessment in omega-3 supplemented group |
|
| |||||
| [19] | Older people with MCI (100, 74 yrs) |
180 mg DHA + 120 mg EPA or placebo | 6 mths, randomized double-blinded placebo controlled trial |
MMSE, AMT | Low prescription dose had no effect on cognitive function in omega-3 supplemented group |
AA = arachidonic acid; DHA = docosahexaenoic acid; EPA = eicosapentaenoic acid; MMSE = Minimental State Examination; ADAS-cog. = Cognitive Portion of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale; CIBIC plus = Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Scale; RBANS = Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status; RAVLT = Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test; CDT = Clock Drawing Test; WAIS-R = Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; AMT = Abbreviated Mental Test.