Article

The anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effect of omega-3 fatty acids have been
shown so far, but still its influence on clinical measures in spinal cord-injured
human models were not known. We tried to investigate changes in disability and
dependency scores in chronic traumatic spinal cord-injured patients after 14
months of omega-3 fatty-acid consumption. METHODS:
Main inclusion criteria were:
traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and post injury duration longer than 1 year.
Disability and dependency was assessed using U.K Functional Independence Measure
and Functional Assessment Measure (FIM+FAM) scale. MorDHA capsules (435 mg of
docosahexaenoic acid and 65 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid) were administered in
treatment group, whereas control group received placebo capsules for 14 months.
U.K. FIM+FAM scale were estimated before intervention and at the end of the
trial. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients in treatment group and 50 patients in placebo
group completed the trial. Highest scores were detected in cognitive domain in
both groups before and after intervention. Most dependency was observed in
locomotion subscale and secondly in sphincter control. Scores of none of these
components were changed by omega-3 fatty-acid consumption. CONCLUSION: Although
omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to have neuroprotective effect in acute phase
of SCI, it seems that they have no significant influence in chronic inflammatory
state of SCI. The positive effect of omega-3 fatty acid in chronic neurorecovery
process, if exists, is weaker to exert any significant improvement in UK FIM+FAM scores in spinal cord-injured individuals.

Langue : ANGLAIS