At a glance
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A Comparison of Omega-3 Fatty Acids vs. Placebo in Children and Adolescents With Bipolar Disorder
In Brief
A clinical study evaluating Flax oil for Bipolar Disorder. Completed, enrolled 65 participants across 1 site.
Detailed Summary
The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that flax oil, as an omega-3 fatty acid, will be superior to placebo in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder in children and adolescents. Our primary objective was to determine if flax oil is efficacious in the pediatric bipolar population for reducing symptoms of mania and depression. A secondary objective was to examine fatty acid levels as predictors of treatment response and symptom severity. This clinical trial evaluated whether supplementation with flax oil, containing the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid (alpha-LNA), safely reduced symptom severity in youth with bipolar disorder.
Study Details
Timeline
Interventions
Flax oil and olive oil placebo were analyzed for quality and purity; sufficient bioactivity was confirmed for the flax oil independently at the University of Massachusetts mid-way through the study. Each capsule of omega -3 fatty acid concentrate contained 550 mg of α-linolenic acid (α-LNA) from flax seed oil.A stepped but flexible dose-titration schedule was carried out with doses increased by 1-2 grams at each visit as tolerated, to an attempted total dose of 6 capsules twice per day, as requested by the FDA (up to 6.6 grams of daily α-linolenic acid).