Essential Fatty Acids, Red Blood Cells & Asperger's

Asperger's syndrome, which affects around two out of 10,000 people, is part of the autism spectrum. Symptoms of Asperger's syndrome are similar but less severe than those of autism; most children retain their ability to speak, but have poor social skills, are often physically clumsy and have rote or monotone speech. People with Asperger's may have an abnormally low concentration of essential fatty acids, which aid in brain functioning, in their red blood cells, for reasons that have not yet been determined. Ask your doctor before treating Asperger's with supplements; not all studies have shown benefit.

Essential Fatty Acid Functions

Essential fatty acids such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids play an important role in brain development and functioning. Low levels of unsaturated fatty acids in the brain may decrease the brain's ability to transmit signals across synapses or trigger other biochemical changes in the brain that lead to the behaviors seen in disorders on the autism spectrum.

Low-Level Causes

Why people with autism spectrum disorders might have low levels of essential fatty acids is unknown. Similar deficits have been shown in people with schizophrenia. Researchers from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center presented a study at the 2009 Pediatric Academic Societies indicating that the often limited diet consumed by people with Asperger's might be responsible for potentially serious nutritional deficits.

Studies

A British study reported in the April 1020 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition" suggested that an imbalance in the ratio of ARA to EPA might be present in some patients with autistic spectrum disorders. A University of California study presented in the April 2006 issue of "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids" stated that their review of fatty acid levels in red blood cell membranes of children with autism did not find strong evidence for abnormal fatty acid metabolism as a factor in the disorder but did suggest that metabolic or dietary abnormalities could play a part.

Treatment

A 90-day study of the effects of an essential fatty acid preparation consisting of 135 mg EPA, 90 mg DHA 33 mg gamma linolenic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid and 15 IU of vitamin E found an improvement in the language skills of 22 children ages 3 to 10. Of the 18 who completed the trial, all showed improvements based on the Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills, Arizona researchers reported in the January 2005 issue of "Autism-Asperger's Digest."