Research Summary Archives

Several reports have documented the relationship between low intakes of fish or long-chain omega-3 PUFAs (n-3 LC-PUFAs) and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or cognitive decline. Some areas of the brain, such as the orbitofrontal cortex, may gradually lose DHA with age. In one stu...

Persistent worries about the potential dangers from consuming fish and the methylmercury they contain continue to frighten women away from eating fish during pregnancy, especially in the U.S. Mercury is present in nearly all seafood in the form of methylmercury. Seafood consumption is already very l...

Some women develop depressive symptoms during or after childbirth, but it is unclear why some women do and others do not. A history of depressive illness and difficult socioeconomic conditions increase the risk of developing this condition, but other factors, including nutrition may contribute as we...

Depressive illness during and after pregnancy affects from 10% to 40% of women worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The occurrence of this burdensome condition is higher in less developed countries where treatment may be limited and difficult living conditions complicate the situat...

There is a growing literature about the links between the consumption of fish and shellfish, tissue levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3s) found in seafood and the odds of developing age-related dementia. The most well known example of advanced mental loss is Alzheimer’s disease, a cond...

Suicide is a global problem, prevalent among adolescents, the elderly and active-duty military personnel. Among US active-duty military, suicide is the second leading cause of death, whereas in the general adult population, it ranks ninth. What attracted popular attention to this high occurrence was...

There is a small, but growing, literature on the relationship between long-chain omega-3 PUFA (n-3 LC-PUFA) status at birth and later child development, cognition and behavior. Do the observations reported in the first year of life extend into later childhood? Do relationships appear later that were...

Traumatic brain injury (Figure) results in about 53,000 deaths in the U.S. every year, with nearly twice that number suffering permanent disability, which sometimes includes diminished cognitive ability. Treatments with long-term benefits are few and of limited effectiveness. One potential treatment...

Suicide is a global problem that is more prevalent among adolescents, the elderly, war veterans and active-duty military personnel. The latter are of particular concern regarding the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, among whom suicide is the second leading cause of death (13.1%) compared with the ninth ra...

Traumatic brain injury results in 53,000 deaths in the U.S. every year (Figure), with nearly twice that number suffering permanent disability, including diminished cognitive ability. Treatments with long-term benefits are few and of limited effectiveness.  Progesterone may have neurological benefits...