Effects of Large Doses of Arachidonic Acid Added to Docosahexaenoic Acid on Social Impairment in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders
- 1 April 2012
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Journal of Clinical Psychopharmacology
- Vol. 32 (2), 200-206
- https://doi.org/10.1097/jcp.0b013e3182485791
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are a neurodevelopmental disorders with reduced cortical functional connectivity relating to social cognition. Polyunsaturated fatty acids arachidonic acid (ARA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) may have key role in brain network maturation. In particularly, ARA is important in signal transduction related to neuronal maturation. Supplementation with larger ARA doses added to DHA may therefore mitigate social impairment. In a 16-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, we evaluated the efficacy of supplementation with large doses of ARA added to DHA (n = 7) or placebo (n = 6) in 13 participants (mean age, 14.6 [SD, 5.9] years). To examine underlying mechanisms underlying the effect of our supplementation regimen, we examined plasma levels of antioxidants transferrin and superoxide dismutase, which are useful markers of signal transduction. The outcome measures were the Social Responsiveness Scale and the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed that our supplementation regimen significantly improved Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community-measured social withdrawal and Social Responsiveness Scale-measured communication. Treatment effect sizes were more favorable for the treatment group compared with the placebo group (communication: treatment groups, 0.87 vs, placebo, 0.44; social withdrawal: treatment groups, 0.88, vs placebo, 0.54). There was a significant difference in the change in plasma transferrin levels and a trend toward a significant difference in the change in plasma superoxide dismutase levels between the 2 groups. This preliminary study suggests that supplementation with larger ARA doses added to DHA improves impaired social interaction in individuals with autism spectrum disorder by up-regulating signal transduction.Keywords
This publication has 41 references indexed in Scilit:
- Pharmacologic Treatment for the Core Deficits and Associated Symptoms of Autism in ChildrenJournal of Pediatric Health Care, 2009
- Antipsychotics in the treatment of autismJCI Insight, 2008
- Mapping Early Brain Development in AutismNeuron, 2007
- Risk Factors for Extrapyramidal Symptoms During Treatment With Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, Including Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme, and Serotonin and Dopamine Transporter and Receptor PolymorphismsJournal of Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2006
- Risperidone for the Core Symptom Domains of Autism: Results From the Study by the Autism Network of the Research Units on Pediatric PsychopharmacologyAmerican Journal of Psychiatry, 2005
- Risperidone in Children with Autism and Serious Behavioral ProblemsThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2002
- A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of the effects of supplementation with highly unsaturated fatty acids on ADHD-related symptoms in children with specific learning difficultiesProgress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 2001
- Plasma fatty acid levels in autistic childrenProstaglandins, Leukotrienes & Essential Fatty Acids, 2001
- Plausible explanations for effects of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) on neonatesArchives of Disease in Childhood: Fetal & Neonatal, 1999
- A Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Risperidone in Adults With Autistic Disorder and Other Pervasive Developmental DisordersArchives of General Psychiatry, 1998