Fatty acids help the brain

A study involving 99 healthy older adults found that levels of monounsaturated fatty acids were associated with cognitive performance and the organization of the brain's attention network.

MUFAs are found in olive oils, nuts and avocados, and are a component of the Mediterranean diet, which has been associated with slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk.

The study found that general intelligence was associated with how efficiently the dorsal attention network was functionally organized used a measure called small-world propensity, which describes how well the neural network is connected within locally clustered regions as well as across globally integrated systems.

In turn, they found that those with higher levels of MUFAs in their blood had greater small-world propensity in their dorsal attention network, suggesting that this is part of the reason for the link between diet and cognition.

And in another study by the same researchers, involving 94 older adults (65-75), blood levels of three omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, stearidonic acid and ecosatrienoic acid) were associated with levels of fluid intelligence, and this was mediated by the size of the left frontoparietal cortex. A larger left frontoparietal cortex was associated with higher levels of the omega-3 acids and better performance on tests of fluid intelligence.

A second study found that the size of a brain region called the fornix was associated with a balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the blood, and a more robust fornix was linked to better memory. The fornix is one of the first brain regions to be compromised in Alzheimer's disease.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-09/uoia-nhb090717.phphttps://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-05/uoia-slh051817.php

Reference: 

Zamroziewicz, M. K., Talukdar, M. T., Zwilling, C. E., & Barbey, A. K. (2017). Nutritional status, brain network organization, and general intelligence. NeuroImage, 161, 241–250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.043

Zamroziewicz Marta K.,Paul Erick J.,Zwilling Chris E., et al. Predictors of Memory in Healthy Aging: Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Balance and Fornix White Matter Integrity[J]. Aging and disease, 2017, 8(4): 372-383. http://www.aginganddisease.org/EN/10.14336/AD.2017.0501

Related News

Link among Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, atherosclerosis and diabetes

It’s been suggested before that Down syndrome and Alzheimer's are connected. Similarly, there has been evidence for connections between diabetes and Alzheimer’s, and cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s. Now new evidence shows that all of these share a common disease mechanism.
Hypertension linked to dementia in older women

Part of the Women's Health Initiative study looking at the effect of hormone therapy on thinking and memory in postmenopausal women, involving over 1400 women, has found those who had high blood pressure at the start of the study (eight years earlier) had significantly higher amounts of

Specific hippocampal atrophy early sign of MCI & Alzheimer's

A three-year study involving 169 people with mild cognitive impairment has found that those who later developed Alzheimer's disease showed 10-30% greater atrophy in two specific locations within the

Mental fluctuations may signal Alzheimer's disease

A study involving 511 older adults (average age 78) has found that 11.6% of those with very mild or mild Alzheimer’s (43% of the participants) had mental lapses, compared to only 2 of the 295 without Alzheimer’s. Those with mental lapses also tended to have more severe Alzheimer’s.
Training program improves eating skills of dementia patients

Loss of memory and problems with judgment in dementia patients can cause difficulties in relation to eating and nutrition; these problems in turn can lead to poor quality of life, pressure ulcers and infections.
Nutritional drink may help fight Alzheimer's

A European trial involving 225 patients with mild Alzheimer's has found that those who drank Souvenaid (a cocktail of uridine, choline and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA, plus B vitamins, phosopholipids and antioxidants) for 12 weeks were more likely to improve their performance in a delayed verbal

Subjective memory loss may increase risk for MCI & dementia

Subjective cognitive impairment (SCI), marked by situations such as when a person recognizes they can't remember a name like they used to or where they recently placed important objects the way they used to, is experienced by between one-quarter and one-half of the population over the age of 65.
Exercise helps prevent, improve MCI

A German study involving nearly 4000 older adults (55+) has found that physical activity significantly reduced the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment over a two-year period.
Connection between navigation, object location, & autobiographical memory

Rodent studies have demonstrated the existence of specialized neurons involved in spatial memory.
HIV infection prematurely ages the brain

Although HIV doesn't directly infect neurons, it appears that once it has crossed the blood-brain barrier, it affects supporting cells that can release immune factors that harm neurons.

Pages

more
Subscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest newsSubscribe to Latest health newsSubscribe to Latest news