ArticleJournal of lipid research2009
Imaging incorporation of circulating docosahexaenoic acid into the human brain using positron emission tomography.
Article in Journal of lipid research, 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04210804 (A Prophylactic Trial of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 78 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Prophylactic Trial of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Bipolar Disorder
Who cites it
78 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 185 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of omega-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids in the treatment of depression.The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science · 2016Pooled it
- Determining the half-life and turnover rate of EPA, n-3 docosapentaenoic acid, and DHA in humans using the natural abundance of carbon-13: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2026Trial
- Dietary alteration of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids for headache reduction in adults with migraine: randomized controlled trial.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2021Trial
- Brain delivery of supplemental docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.EBioMedicine · 2020Trial
- Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Resting Cerebral Perfusion in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Controlled Trial.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2018Trial
- Effects of Souvenaid on plasma micronutrient levels and fatty acid profiles in mild and mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's disease.Alzheimer's research & therapy · 2015Trial
- Higher RBC EPA + DHA corresponds with larger total brain and hippocampal volumes: WHIMS-MRI study.Neurology · 2014Trial
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids and psychotic disorders: integrating mechanistic, genetic, and clinical evidence.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Membrane Molecular Species Remodeling as a Signature of ω-3 Fatty Acid Action in Cultured Neural Cells.ASN neuro · 2026Article
- Association Between Omega-3 Supplement Use and Cognitive Function in Korean Older Adults: An 8-Year Longitudinal Cohort Study.The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2026Article
- Dietary phospholipid carriers of DHA do not increase brain DHA levels: a replication study.Journal of lipid research · 2025Article
- Comparative Bioavailability of DHA and EPA from Microalgal and Fish Oil in Adults.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis as a Potential Approach for Investigation of Cerebral Accumulation of Docosahexaenoic Acid: Previous Milestones and Recent Trends.Molecular neurobiology · 2025Review
- Effects of APOE4 on omega-3 brain metabolism across the lifespan.Trends in endocrinology and metabolism: TEM · 2024Review
- Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) and Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA)-Should They Be Mandatory Supplements in Pregnancy?Biomedicines · 2024Review
- Cognitive Function After Stopping Folic Acid and DHA Intervention: An Extended Follow-Up Results from the Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports · 2024Article
- Synthesis and Preclinical Evaluation of 22-[ACS chemical neuroscience · 2023Article
- Allyl Isothiocyanate Maintains DHA-Containing Glycerophospholipids and Ameliorates the Cognitive Function Decline in OVX Mice.ACS omega · 2023Article
18 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
15 authors at 7 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) is a critical constituent of the brain, but its metabolism has not been measured in the human brain in vivo. In monkeys, using positron emission tomography (PET), we first showed that intravenously injected [1-(11)C]DHA mostly entered nonbrain organs, with approximately 0.5% entering the brain. Then, using PET and intravenous [1-(11)C]DHA in 14 healthy adult humans, we quantitatively imaged regional rates of incorporation (K*) of DHA. We also imaged regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using PET and intravenous [(15)O]water. Values of K* for DHA were higher in gray than white matter regions and correlated significantly with values of rCBF in 12 of 14 subjects despite evidence that rCBF does not directly influence K*. For the entire human brain, the net DHA incorporation rate J(in), the product of K*, and the unesterified plasma DHA concentration equaled 3.8 +/- 1.7 mg/day. This net rate is equivalent to the net rate of DHA consumption by brain and, considering the reported amount of DHA in brain, indicates that the half-life of DHA in the human brain approximates 2.5 years. Thus, PET with [1-(11)C]DHA can be used to quantify regional and global human brain DHA metabolism in relation to health and disease.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.