Modeling mood disorders and the role of Omega-3 - Bad Food = Bad Mood

It has long been accepted that obesity in developed societies is linked to malnutrition and accompanying biochemical imbalance which can manifest as mood disorders. A controlled diet deficient in n-3 PUFA (Omega-3) was used to mimic lifelong malnutrition to explore the affects on synaptic function in regions of the brain that control mood

The researchers looked at synaptic function within the prefrontal cortex which is crucial for executive functions and emotional decision making. They concentrated on the lipid signaling system called endocannabinoids system and found that omega-3 deficiency abolishes synaptic plasticity controlled by this system.

They used behavioural studies, whole cell patch-clamping and biochemical experiments combined with data analysis to produce a detailed insight into the crucial relationship between diet and neuronal function.

They observed that disruption to the endocannabinoid system prevented specific protein coupling that is crucial to strengthening of synapses in this region of the brain. This offers a plausible molecular link between omega-3 deficit and neuropsychiatric diseases that originate in the prefrontal cortex.

It is yet to be determined whether supplementation of dietary omega-3 would be a suitable treatment for depressive disorders but these findings provide a promising model for deeper research.

Paper details: Nutritional omega-3 abolishes endocannabinoid-mediated neuronal functions. Nature Neuroscience (2011) doi:10.1038/nn.2736