ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Previous studies have linked sports-related concussions and repeated subconcussive head impacts in contact sport athletes to elevated brain injury biomarkers. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the primary omega-3 (n-3) highly unsaturated fatty acid (HUFA) in the brain, has shown neuroprotective effects in animal models after brain injury, but clinical research has shown mixed results. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study on 29 Division 1 collegiate American football players, exploring the impact of DHA (2.5 g) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (1.0 g) supplied as ethyl esters, on levels of plasma lipids shown to cross the blood-brain barrier. Dietary intake data was collected using food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). Complex lipids and unesterified fatty acids were isolated from plasma, separated via reversed-phase liquid chromatography and analyzed by targeted lipidomics analysis. RESULTS: FFQ results indicated that participants had low dietary n-3 HUFA intake and high omega-6 (n-6):n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and HUFA ratios at baseline. After DHA + EPA supplementation, plasma lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) containing DHA and EPA significantly increased at all timepoints (weeks 17, 21, and 26; p < 0.0001), surpassing placebo at Weeks 17 (p < 0.05) and 21 (p < 0.05). Phosphatidylcholine (PC) molecular species containing DHA or EPA, PC38:6 PC36:6, PC38:7, PC40:6, and PC40:8, increased significantly in the DHA + EPA treatment group at Weeks 17 (and 21. Plasma concentrations of non-esterified DHA and EPA rose post-supplementation in Weeks 17 and 21. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that n-3 HUFA supplementation, in the form of ethyl esters, increased the DHA and EPA containing plasma lipid pools the have the capacity to enrich brain lipids and the potential to mitigate the effects of sports-related concussions and repeated subconcussive head impacts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: All deidentified data are available at ClinicalTrials.gov #NCT0479207.
ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: An oral health scoring system (Oral Health Score: OHS) has been designed to provide a numerical measure of the overall state of a patients oral health by means of a series of simple clinical examinations. OBJECTIVE: To assess, by means of a questionnaire, patients opinions of the value of the OHS. METHODS: Eight general dental practitioners who used the OHS were asked to participate in the project. The participating dentists were requested to explain the aims of the project to 50 patients. Patients who agreed to participate were asked to complete a questionnaire after a visit during which the OHS was used. These patients were provided with a reply-paid envelope for the return of the questionnaire. RESULTS: Completed usable questionnaires were received from 315 patients. Of respondents, 97% considered that the OHS gave them a better understanding of the condition of their mouth and 98% considered that the OHS was a good method for communication between dentist and patient. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicate that, within the study group, the OHS is considered by a large majority of patients to be a good method for communication of the patient's oral health between dentist and patient.
