ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9492-134X
Current Organisation
Northumbria University
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Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 25-08-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S000711451100403X
Abstract: The n -3 PUFA are a unique class of fatty acids that cannot be manufactured by the body, and must be acquired via dietary sources. In the UK, as well as in other Western nations, these ‘essential’ fatty acids are consumed in quantities that fall below government guidelines. The present study explored the effects of 12 weeks' dietary supplementation with 1 g/d of two types of fish oil (FO DHA-rich and EPA-rich) in 159 healthy young adults aged 18–35 years. An assessment of performance on a battery of computerised cognitive tasks and mood measures took place before and following the 12-week treatment regimen. Venous blood s les were also supplied by participants at both time points which were later analysed for serum fatty acid concentrations. Despite good adherence to the study protocol – as reflected in increased concentrations of n -3 serum fatty acids – compared with placebo, the observed effects of both active treatments were minimal. The only finding of note revealed that supplementation with EPA-rich FO may reduce subjective mental fatigue at times of high cognitive demand, although further investigation is required. These findings, taken together with other recent reports of null effects, suggest that dietary supplementation with n -3 PUFA in healthy, normally developing and impairment-free populations is unlikely to result in cognitive enhancement.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 03-10-2011
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114511004041
Abstract: The impact of dietary n -3 PUFA on behavioural outcomes has been widely researched however, very little attention has been given to their impact on brain functioning in physiological terms. A total of twenty-two healthy adults took part in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, wherein the cerebral haemodynamic effects of 12 weeks of daily dietary supplementation with either 1 g DHA-rich or 1 g EPA-rich fish oil (FO) or placebo (1 g olive oil) were assessed. Relative changes in the concentration of oxygenated Hb (oxy-Hb) and deoxygenated Hb were assessed in the prefrontal cortex using near IR spectroscopy (NIRS) during the performance of four computerised cognitive tasks. Supplementation with DHA-rich FO, in comparison with placebo, resulted in a significant increase in the concentrations of oxy-Hb and total levels of Hb, indicative of increased cerebral blood flow (CBF), during the cognitive tasks. In comparison, no effect on CBF was observed following supplementation with EPA-rich FO, where concentration changes in the chromophores followed the same pattern as placebo. These encouraging pilot data warrant further application of NIRS in this area.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-2009
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2007
DOI: 10.1002/HUP.885
Abstract: Previous research from our laboratory demonstrated that administration of single doses (120, 240, 360 mg) of standardised Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) had linear, dose-dependent, positive effects on the speed of performing attention tasks in comparison to placebo. However, whilst the lowest dose, which is typical of a recommended daily dose, had no effect on the speed of attention task performance it did engender mild improvements in secondary memory performance. The current study presents a reanalysis of data from three methodologically identical studies that each included a treatment of 120 mg GBE and matched placebo. All three studies were of a multiple dose, placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced-crossover design, employing four or five treatment arms in total. Across the studies 78 healthy young participants received 120 mg GBE and placebo in randomly counterbalanced order, separated by a wash-out period of at least 7 days. On each study day participants' performance on the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised cognitive assessment battery was measured immediately prior to dosing and at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 hr following treatment, with scores collapsed into the six measures (speed of attention, accuracy of attention, secondary memory, working memory, speed of memory, quality of memory) which have previously been derived by factor analysis of the data from CDR subtests. The results showed that 120 mg of Ginkgo engendered a significant improvement on the 'quality of memory' factor that was most evident at 1 and 4 hr post-dose, but had a negative effect on performance on the 'speed of attention' factor that was most evident at 1 and 6 hr post-dose. The current study confirmed the previous observation of modestly improved memory performance following 120 mg of GBE, but suggests that acute administration of this typical daily dose may have a detrimental effect on the speed of attention task performance which is opposite to that seen previously following higher doses.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 11-2008
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114508959213
Abstract: Adequate levels of vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal neural functioning. A high proportion of in iduals, including children, suffer from deficiencies in one or more vitamins or minerals. This study investigated whether daily supplementation with vitamins/minerals could modulate cognitive performance and mood in healthy children. In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel groups investigation, eighty-one healthy children aged from 8 to 14 years underwent laboratory assessments of their cognitive performance and mood pre-dose and at 1 and 3 h post-dose on the first and last days of 12 weeks' supplementation with a commercially available vitamins/mineral product (Pharmaton Kiddi™). Interim assessments were also completed at home after 4 and 8 weeks at 3 h post-dose. Each assessment comprised completion of a cognitive battery, delivered over the Internet, which included tasks assessing mood and the speed and accuracy of attention and aspects of memory (secondary, semantic and spatial working memory). The vitamin/mineral group performed more accurately on two attention tasks: ‘Arrows’ choice reaction time task at 4 and 8 weeks ‘Arrow Flankers’ choice reaction time task at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. A single task outcome (Picture Recognition errors) evinced significant decrements at 12 weeks. Mood was not modulated in any interpretable manner. Whilst it is possible that the significant improvements following treatment were due to non-significant numerical differences in performance at baseline, these results would seem to suggest that vitamin/mineral supplementation has the potential to improve brain function in healthy children. This proposition requires further investigation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOPSYCHO.2011.10.006
Abstract: A number of recent studies have assessed the impact of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on behavioral outcomes however, very little attention has been given to their impact upon brain function in physiological terms. Sixty-five healthy adults aged 18-29yrs took part in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study assessing the effects of 12 weeks daily dietary supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid-rich fish oil (1g, 2g) or placebo (olive oil). Relative changes in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin were assessed in the prefrontal cortex using near-infrared spectroscopy during performance of nine computerized cognitive tasks. Supplementation with both doses of fish oil, in comparison with placebo, resulted in significantly increased concentrations of oxyhemoglobin and total levels of hemoglobin, indicative of increased cerebral blood flow, during the cognitive tasks. Changes in hemodynamic response to tasks were not accompanied by consistent changes in cognitive performance.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Philippa Jackson.