Efficacy of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) on Impulsive Behaviours and Aggressiveness in Psychiatric Disorders.
Int J Mol Sci
; 22(2)2021 Jan 09.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33435512
ABSTRACT
It is the focus of increasing interest to investigate the effects of long-chain n-3 and long-chain n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFAs; LC n-6 PUFAs) on psychiatric symptoms in a transdiagnostic perspective. There is some evidence that low levels of LC n-3 PUFAs and a higher ratio of LC n-6 to LC n-3 PUFAs in plasma and blood cells are associated with aggressive and impulsive behaviours. Therefore, implementation of LC n-3 PUFAs may produce positive effects on hostility, aggression, and impulsivity in both psychiatric and non-psychiatric samples across different stages of life. A possible mechanism of action of LC n-3 PUFAs in conditions characterized by a high level of impulsivity and aggression is due to the effect of these compounds on the serotonin system and membrane stability. Studies that evaluated the effects of LC n-3 PUFAs on impulsivity and aggressiveness indicated that addition of rather low doses of these agents to antipsychotic treatment might reduce agitation and violent behaviours in psychosis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, personality disorders, and impulsive control and conduct disorders. The present review is aimed at examining and discussing available data from recent trials on this topic.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Fatty Acids, Omega-3
/
Aggression
/
Impulsive Behavior
/
Mental Disorders
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
Int J Mol Sci
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Italy