Date of Award
1-1-2022
Degree Type
Selective Evidence-Based Medicine Review
Degree Name
Master of Science in Health Sciences - Physician Assistant
Department
Physician Assistant Studies
Abstract
Objective: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not “Does the use of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation decrease the rate of cognitive decline, as measured by the ADAS-Cog scale, for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease?”
Study Design: A systematic review of three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published between 2010 and 2018.
Data Sources: All three RCTs were published in English into peer reviewed journals and discovered via PubMed. The studies were selected based on relevance and ability to answer the clinical question.
Outcome Measured: Cognitive function is the outcome measured using the Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale- Cognition (ADAS-cog) score.
Results: The Shinto et al. study found that after 12 months of daily treatment, the mean change from baseline in ADAS-Cog scores was 4.4 in the DHA treatment group and 3.2 in the placebo group, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.86) between the two mean changes. Eriksdotter et al. found a statistically significant (p=0.016) association between increasing plasma levels of omega-3 fatty acids with decreasing rates of cognitive decline as measured by ADAS-Cog scores. The association was measured by an unstandardized coefficient as B=-0.834. Quinn et al. found that after 18 months of treatment, the mean change from baseline in ADAS-Cog scores was 7.98 in the DHA group and 8.27 in the placebo group. The treatment effect was found to not be statistically significant with p=0.41.
Conclusion: One study in this review found a statistically significant association in increased levels of DHA with decreased rates of cognitive decline. However, two studies did not find data of DHA having a statistically significant effect on changes in ADAS-Cog scores. Therefore, this review does not show that DHA supplementation can decrease the rate of cognitive decline as measured by the ADAS-Cog scale in patients with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Recommended Citation
Nakamura, Erin C., "Does the use of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation decrease the rate of cognitive decline, as measured by the ADAS-Cog scale, for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease?" (2022). PCOM Physician Assistant Studies Student Scholarship. 633.
https://digitalcommons.pcom.edu/pa_systematic_reviews/633