Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Role in the Prevention and Treatment of Psychiatric Disorders

Authors: Tsalamanios, Emmanuel; Yanni, Amalia E.; Koutsari, Christina

Source: Current Psychiatry Reviews, Volume 2, Number 2, May 2006 , pp. 215-234(20)

Publisher: Bentham Science Publishers

Abstract:

The purpose of this article is to review the current literature regarding the role of omega-3 (ω-3) fatty acids (mainly eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) in the etiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal structure and function of neuronal membranes. They also influence cell signaling and are precursors to the eicosanoids, which play important regulatory roles in a wide range of physiological functions. There has been considerable interest in the potential use of ω-3 fatty acids for the treatment of psychiatric disorders including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder and childhood developmental and psychiatric disorders. This article provides a critical review of the recent findings and discusses future directions and questions that remain unanswered.

Keywords: Schizophrenia; Phospholipid Metabolism; magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS); phosphomonoesters; mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK); Bipolar Disorder; Depression

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157340006776875969

Affiliations: 1: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrine Research Unit, 5-194 Joseph, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.

Publication date: 2006-05-01

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• Current Psychiatry Reviews publishes frontier reviews on all the latest advances on clinical psychiatry and its related areas e.g. pharmacology, epidemiology, clinical care, and therapy. The journal's aim is to publish the highest quality review articles dedicated to clinical research in the field. The journal is essential reading for all clinicians, psychiatrists and researchers in psychiatry.

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