Omega-3 fatty acids for bipolar disorder.


Polyunsaturated fatty acid deficit in patients with bipolar mania. Chiu, chih-chiang; huang, shih-yi; su, kuan-pin; lu, mong-liang; huang, ming-chyi; chen, chiao-chicy; shen, winston w. School of medicine, taipei city psychiatric center, laboratory of biological psychiatry, taipei medical university, taipei, taiwan. European neuropsychopharmacology (2003), 13(2), 99-103. Coden: eurne8 issn: 0924-977x. Journal written in english. Can 138:399812 an 2003:209391 caplus (copyright 2004 acs on scifinder (r))

abstract

the aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that there is a depletion of polyunsatd. Fatty acids of erythrocyte membranes in patients with bipolar disorder and to connect the previous therapeutic and psychoimmunol. Findings. Fatty acid compns. Of erythrocyte membranes in 20 bipolar manic patients and 20 healthy controls were analyzed by thin-layer chromatog. And gas chromatog. The major finding was significantly reduced arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3) compns. In bipolar patients as compared to normal controls with p values of 0.000 and 0.002, resp. There were no differences in total omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsatd. Fatty acids. This abnormality may be related to the mechanisms of action of mood stabilizers and the previous findings on the abnormal psychoimmunol. Of patients with bipolar disorder. Larger sample sizes of medicated patients or drug-free manic, well-controlled designs on the diet and smoking, and fatty acid compn. Measurements during full remission after the index episode are warranted in future studies.