The aim of this thesis was to examine possible effects of omega-3 fatty acids on children’s cognition and behavior. Longitudinal as well as cross-sectional comparisons were made among children with typical development and children with ADHD /at risk developing ADHD. The specific purposes were to examine (1) breast-feeding in relation to cognition; (2) relation between long chain poly unsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) in mothers breast-milk and children´s cognition; (3) effects of EPA supplementation on cognition and behavior in children with ADHD; (4) if LCPUFAs have differential effects on working memory, inhibition, problem-solving and theory of mind (ToM). The main conclusions were as follows; (1) duration of breast-feeding was positively correlated to children levels of intelligence (IQ); (2) LCPUFAs in breast-milk was related to children’s ToM and IQ, the quotient DHA/AA, together with length of breastfeeding and gestation week explained 76% of the variance of total IQ; (3) subtypes of children with ADHD responded to EPA supplementation with significant reductions in symptoms, but there were no effects in the whole group with ADHD; (4) ToM ability was related to LCPUFAs, but not to any other cognitive measures as working memory, inhibition and problem-solving. To conclude, these results indicate that fatty acid status in breast-milk at birth affect general cognitive function in children at 6.5 years of age, including ToM. Short-term intervention with omega-3 fatty acids does not affect cognition in children with ADHD, but improves clinical symptoms as assessed by means of teacher ratings. These results further indicate that hot executive function and social cognition may be an area of interest for future research. / Syftet med denna avhandling var att undersöka möjliga effekter av omega-3 fettsyror för barns kognition och beteende. Både kortsiktiga och långsiktiga effekter undersöktes och studierna involverade både barn med typisk utveckling och barn med ADHD. De specifika syftena var att undersöka; (1) amning i relation till barns kognitiva utveckling; (2), relationen mellan långa fleromättade fettsyror (LCPUFA) i mammans bröstmjölk och barns kognition; (3) effekter på kognition och beteenden hos barn med ADHD av ett EPA tillskott; (4) om LCPUFA hade några differentiella effekter på arbetsminne, inhibering eller Theory of Mind (ToM). De huvudsakliga slutsatserna var följande; (1) amningslängden var positivt korrelerad med barnens intelligenskvot (IK); (2) LCPUFA i bröstmjölken var associerad med barnens ToM och IK, kvoten DHA/AA, tillsammans med amningslängd och graviditetslängd förklarade 76% av variansen i totala IK; (3) subgrupper av barn med ADHD svarade på EPA behandlingen med signifikant reducerade symptom, men för hela gruppen med ADHD hittades inga effekter; (4) ToM var relaterat till LCPUFA, men inga andra kognitiva mått som arbetsminne, inhibering eller problemlösning. Sammanfattningsvis indikerar dessa resultat att fettsyrestatus i bröstmjölk påverkar generell kognitiv förmåga, samt ToM, hos barn 6,5 år gamla. Korttidsintervention med omega-3 fetter påverkar inte kognition hos skolbarn med ADHD, men minskar kliniska symptom skattade i lärarskattningsskalor. Vidare indikerar resultaten att ”heta” exekutiva funktioner och social kognition kan vara av intresse för framtida forskning.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:liu-68081 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Birberg Thornberg, Ulrika |
| Publisher | Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för beteendevetenskap och lärande, Linköpings universitet, Filosofiska fakulteten, Linköping : Linköping University Electronic Press |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | Linköping Studies in Arts and Science, 0282-9800 ; 530, Linköping Studies in Behavioural Science, 1654-2029 ; 158, Studies from the Swedish Institute for Disability Research, 1650-1128 ; 37 |
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