SynthesisPloS one2015
Docosahexaenoic acid and adult memory: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
94 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 205 citations in OpenAlex.
- The effects of multi-nutrient formulas containing a combination ofThe British journal of nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation in age-related cognitive decline: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of clinical pharmacology · 2020Pooled it
- Effect of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.European journal of clinical nutrition · 2020Pooled it
- Brain Health across the Lifespan: A Systematic Review on the Role of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplements.Nutrients · 2018Pooled it
- Krill oil increases plasma omega-3 fatty acids more than fish oil in healthy adults: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2026Trial
- Supplementation with oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid, but not in docosahexaenoic acid, improves global cognitive function in healthy, young adults: results from randomized controlled trials.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2021Trial
- ω-3 Ethyl ester results in better cognitive function at 12 and 30 months than control in cognitively healthy subjects with coronary artery disease: a secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2021Trial
- Longitudinal investigation of the relationship between omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and neuropsychological functioning in recent-onset psychosis: A randomized clinical trial.Schizophrenia research · 2021Trial
- The effects of omega-3 fatty acids on neuropsychological functioning and brain morphology in mid-life adults: a randomized clinical trial.Psychological medicine · 2020Trial
- Brain delivery of supplemental docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.EBioMedicine · 2020Trial
- Effects of combining exercise with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on cognitive function in the elderly: a randomised controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2020Trial
- Trial
- Effect of the Casein-Derived Peptide Met-Lys-Pro on Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Adults Without Dementia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.Clinical interventions in aging · 2020Trial
- Effect of 1 Year Krill Oil Supplementation on Cognitive Achievement of Dutch Adolescents: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.Nutrients · 2019Trial
- Trial
- Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Depressive Symptoms, and Cognitive Performance in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease: Analyses From a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical psychopharmacology · 2016Trial
- Trial
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid Status Enhances the Prevention of Cognitive Decline by B Vitamins in Mild Cognitive Impairment.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2016Trial
- Similar eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid plasma levels achieved with fish oil or krill oil in a randomized double-blind four-week bioavailability study.Lipids in health and disease · 2015Trial
- Food-Derived Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Cognitive Aging: Integrating Nutritional Neuroscience and Geroscience.Nutrients · 2026Review
34 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
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionSubjective memory complaints are common with aging. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 n-3) is a long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) and an integral part of neural membrane phospholipids that impacts brain structure and function. Past research demonstrates a positive association between DHA plasma status/dietary intake and cognitive function.
objectivesThe current meta-analysis was designed to determine the effect of DHA intake, alone or combined with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5 n-3), on specific memory domains: episodic, working, and semantic in healthy adults aged 18 years and older. A secondary objective was to systematically review/summarize the related observational epidemiologic literature.
methodsA systematic literature search of clinical trials and observational studies that examined the relationship between n-3 LCPUFA on memory outcomes in healthy adults was conducted in Ovid MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. Studies of subjects free of neurologic disease at baseline, with or without mild memory complaints (MMC), were included. Random effects meta-analyses were conducted to generate weighted group mean differences, standardized weighted group mean differences (Hedge's g), z-scores, and p-values for heterogeneity comparing DHA/EPA to a placebo. A priori sub-group analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect of age at enrollment, dose level, and memory type tested.
resultsEpisodic memory outcomes of adults with MMC were significantly (P<.004) improved with DHA/EPA supplementation. Regardless of cognitive status at baseline, > 1 g/day DHA/EPA improved episodic memory (P<.04). Semantic and working memory changes from baseline were significant with DHA but no between group differences were detected. Observational studies support a beneficial association between intake/blood levels of DHA/EPA and memory function in older adults.
conclusionDHA, alone or combined with EPA, contributes to improved memory function in older adults with mild memory complaints.
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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.