近年来关于 omega-3脂肪酸的保健功效越来越广为人知，一项研究显示这种脂肪酸在人体正常代谢中扮演重要角色。研究人员在大鼠实验中发现 omega-3脂肪酸对改善多动症有很大帮助。研究人员在实验中使用自发性高血压大鼠，这种品种大鼠由于其高血压等特点可以导致多动症。在对多动症大鼠添加 omega-3脂肪酸后，研究人员发现其高血压、多动症情况都有所改善。同时其大脑中一些分子结构也发生改变。目前多动症一般是通过行为学方法检验。而这项研究暗示多动症背后也有着复杂的分子机制。

详细英文报道：

In recent years, claims about the health benefits of omega-3, the fatty acid found in fish, eggs and some plant oils, have been controversial. Now, a new study suggests that omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for normal metabolism, may be able to improve behavior associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Researchers at the University of Oslo in Norway studied two groups of SHR rats--spontaneously hypertensive rats: One was fed omega-3 in their food as babies and whose mothers were also fed omega-3 in their food before they were impregnated and feeding, and a control group that had not been given these fatty acids at the fetal stage or later. SHR rats were used as a model because they exhibit symptoms of ADHD, including hyperactivity, poor ability to concentrate and impulsiveness.

Investigators began analyzing the offspring's behavior--including behavior driven by reward and spontaneous behavior--a few days after they were separated from the mother. The researchers engineered a reward-driven behavior test, in which the rats were allowed access to a drop of water each time they pressed an illuminated button. The ADHD rats that had not been given omega-3 could not concentrate on pressing the button, while the rats that had been fed omega-3 easily managed to hold their concentration to perform the task and get a reward. Only male rats showed an improvement in reward-driven behavior, but in regard to spontaneous behavior, both male and female rats showed a reduction in hyperactivity and attention difficulties in animals that had been given the omega-3 supplement.

The omega-3 diet also seemed to cause molecular changes in the brains of the ADHD rats, the scientists noted. They found that the turnover of the signaling substances dopamine and serotonin took place much faster among the male rats that had been given omega-3 than among those that had not.

The molecular genetic background for ADHD is largely unknown, and the current psychiatric diagnosis is purely based on behavioral criteria. However, the findings suggest that there is some biological component to the disorder.