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DHA status is related to prefrontal cortex‐mediated impulse control in adolescents
Author(s) -
Darcey Valerie L.,
El Damaty Shady,
Rose Emma J.,
Fishbein Diana H.,
VanMeter John W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.407.3
Subject(s) - prefrontal cortex , neuroimaging , psychology , inferior frontal gyrus , impulse (physics) , brain function , docosahexaenoic acid , brain activity and meditation , medicine , neuroscience , polyunsaturated fatty acid , fatty acid , cognition , audiology , electroencephalography , chemistry , biochemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
The emergence of impulse control, a function mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), is critical for avoiding risky behaviors during adolescence. The PFC is undergoing development during this period and thus influences on its maturation may contribute to variations in impulse control. One such factor is docosohexoenoic acid (DHA), an essential omega‐3 fatty acid that influences neuronal function, particularly in the PFC. Though DHA is an integral structural component of neuronal membranes, little is known about the relationship between DHA status, structural qualities of PFC and impulse control in adolescents. Thus, this study examined adolescent PFC thickness and behavioral inhibition in relation to DHA status. Teens (n=53; 51% female; mean age 14.3 ± 0.7 years) enrolled in a longitudinal neuroimaging study provided blood samples (i.e., dried blood spot) for analysis of essential fatty acids via high‐pressure liquid chromatography. At the same study visit, we assessed behavior and obtained brain scans. Ability to inhibit a prepotent response was assessed by frequency of commission errors (false alarms) on a Go/No‐go task. High‐resolution structural brain scans (MPRAGE) were acquired on a Siemens TIM Trio 3T MRI and verified for quality. Recruitment of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) has been consistently implicated in behavioral inhibition and, thus, was the focus of this cortical thickness analysis using Freesurfer. DHA was significantly inversely correlated with impulsive errors on the Go/No‐Go task (r= −0.368; p=0.018). A trending inverse relationship was also observed between impulsive errors and the thickness of right IFG (pars triangularis) (r=−0.247; p=0.074). Blood DHA content was unrelated to potential confounding variables (e.g., age, intelligence, or socioeconomic status). These preliminary results suggest that higher DHA status may be related to a greater ability to inhibit a prepotent behavioral response, i.e., behavioral/impulse control. Furthermore, the potential relationship between IFG cortical thickness and response inhibition echoes previous findings that development of this region is important for behavioral control. Together these results suggest that insufficient dietary DHA intake during adolescence may hinder development of behavioral control. This development may be important for reducing risky decision making related to high‐risk behaviors (e.g. drug and alcohol use) during this development period and warrants further investigation. Support or Funding Information NIH/NIAAA 1R01AA019983‐01 (DHF/JVM), 3R01AA019983‐02S1 (VLD)and 1F31AA023462‐01A1 (VLD)