Fatty Acids
Part 7

How fat consumption can influence the course of HD

Research on essential fatty acids:

Vaddadi, et al. (1999) examined the effect that essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation can have on the symptoms in people with HD. In the study, there were 17 HD patients who all showed clinical signs of HD, such as chorea. Genetic testing confirmed that these 17 patients did indeed have HD. During the study, the patients were told to stick to the same routine and continue taking the same amounts and types of medication. Randomly, nine of the subjects were assigned to the treatment group and they were given capsules that contained essential fatty acids. The other eight subjects were assigned to the control group and they received placebo capsules that did not contain essential fatty acids (this group was used to compare to the group receiving treatment). The study was designed to last two years and the patients´ symptoms were assessed at the beginning of the study and at six-month intervals. Their symptoms were assessed using two Huntington´s disease rating scales.

After twenty months, the study had to be stopped on ethical grounds because it was clear that the treatment group was receiving a significant benefit from the essential fatty acid capsules. The subjects in the treatment group improved in motor skills and functional performance while the subjects in the control group deteriorated. The results indicated an actual improvement over the starting measurements for the treatment group and not merely a slowing of deterioration. Of the nine subjects in the treatment group, only one subject did not improve over baseline. Much of the separation in results between the two groups occurred during the first six months of the study, indicating that it does not take long for the effects of essential fatty acid supplementation to be seen. However, the study did have a few shortcomings. The sample size was small and the effect of any earlier treatments that the subjects may have tried is unknown. Also, the study was terminated early so the long-term benefits of essential fatty supplementation are unclear. The study also does not indicate how high a dose is required to produce an effect. Clearly, much more research needs to be done in this area.

Clifford, et al. (2002) looked at how essential fatty acid (EFA) supplementation affected a mouse model of HD. These specific mice have an HD-like allele and they develop late-onset nervous system deficits in a manner similar to the motor abnormalities of HD. The mice were randomly divided into two groups: a treatment group receiving a mixture of fatty acids and a control group receiving a placebo. Through mid-adulthood, mice in the control group experienced progressive shortening of stride length and complications in movement ability. These deficits were either not evident in the mice in the treatment group or were significantly decreased. The findings of the study indicate that early and sustained treatment with essential fatty acids may be able to protect against motor deficits in mice that have an HD-like allele, and thus may also be able to protect against motor deficits in people with HD.

We hope you enjoyed this section of the HOPES website. To email this article to a friend, please click here. To leave feedback for the HOPES team, click here. Make sure to specify which article you're referring to.

-D. McGee, 04/27/05

For further reading:

1. Aiguo, W. et al. "The interplay between oxidative stress and brain-derived neurotrophic factor modulates the outcome of a saturated fat diet on synaptic plasticity and cognition." European Journal of Neuroscience. 2004; 19(7): 1699-707.
   This is a technical scientific article that explains how a diet high in saturated fat can lead to oxidative stress and decreased levels of BDNF.
2. Clifford, J.J. et al. "Essential fatty acids given from conception prevent topographies of motor deficit in a transgenic model of Huntington´s disease." Neuroscience. 2002; 109(1): 81-8.
   This article is fairly easy to read and it describes the study in which a mouse model of HD that received essential fatty acids showed improvements in motor abilities.
3. Vaddadi, K.S. et al. A randomised, placebo-controlled, double blind study of treatment of Huntington´s disease with unsaturated fatty acids." Neuroreport. 2002; 13: 29-33.
   This article is of medium difficulty. It describes the study in which essential fatty acid supplementation was examined among HD patients.

Last Modified: 10/08/2007

An educational product of HOPES, not to be used in place of medical care. For more information about HOPES, click on the Logo. To contact HOPES with comments or questions, click here.