A study by Researchers from the West Virginia University School of Medicine, with colleagues from Columbia, MD-based Martek Biosciences, published in the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, states that taking the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexanoic acid (DHA) might offer a new way of protecting against traumatic brain injury (TBI). This omega-3 fatty acid is widely available from an algae or fish oil source.
Even though the study warns the results are preliminary, the results raise the "intriguing" possibility of preventive treatment with DHA in groups at high risk of TBI, such as military personnel and athletes in contact sports—including football players. In the study, rats were treated with DHA at varying doses, equivalent to those used in humans taking DHA supplements. After one month of treatment, tissue and behavioural responses to induced TBI were compared between groups of treated animals. The tissue damage caused by TBI was significantly reduced in rats taking the highest dose of DHA: 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Cellular findings included a significant reduction in expression of a protein (beta amyloid protein) that has been implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease.
Additionally, animals receiving the highest dose of DHA before TBI also had reduced expression of key indicators of brain cell death (caspase 3 and macrophages). The DHA-treated rats also performed better on a test of spatial memory, indicating less behavioural impairment.
These studies add to recent evidence suggesting that DHA may be the first treatment of any type to reduce brain tissue damage caused by TBI.
While more research is necessary, another pending study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is looking at whether DHA affects long-term brain function in retired National Football League players. This is certainly an important subject to keep appraised of as research continues in this area, and we will continue to report any new developments.
Read entire journal article: http://journals.lww.com/neurosurgery/Fulltext/2011/02000/Dietary_Supplementation_With_the_Omega_3_Fatty.31.aspx
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