human
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid ( E-EPA ) and placebo in the treatment of female subjects with borderline personality disorder . METHOD The authors conducted an 8-week , placebo-controlled , double-blind study of E-EPA in 30 female subjects meeting Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines and DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder . RESULTS Twenty subjects were r and omly assigned to 1 g of E-EPA ; 10 subjects were given placebo . Ninety percent of those in both groups completed all 8 weeks of the trial . Analyses that used r and om-effects regression modeling and controlled for baseline severity showed E-EPA to be superior to placebo in diminishing aggression as well as the severity of depressive symptoms . CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that E-EPA may be a safe and effective form of monotherapy for women with moderately severe borderline personality disorder Patients with depression have been extensively reported to be associated with the abnormality of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) , including significantly low eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in cell tissue contents ( red blood cell membrane , plasma , etc . ) and dietary intake . However , more evidence is needed to support its relation . In this study , we conducted an 8-week , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , comparing omega-3 PUFAs ( 6.6 g/day ) [ corrected ] with placebo , on the top of the usual treatment , in 28 patients with major depressive disorder . Patients in the omega-3 PUFA group had a significantly decreased score on the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression than those in the placebo group ( P < 0.001 ) . From the preliminary findings in this study , omega-3 PUFAs could improve the short-term course of illness and were well tolerated in patients with major depressive disorder BACKGROUND Diets and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been considered as important factors to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases , but there are few details on the effects on healthy subjects . The aim of the present study was to examine the variation of several physiological parameters in healthy subjects on different diets supplemented with Omega-3 fatty acids .  MATERIAL S AND METHODS The experiment was carried out on 33 subjects divided into four groups according to a double-blind cross-over design with a 1 : 1 ratio for Omega-3 ( vs. placebo ) and open-label parallel-groups with a 1 : 1 ratio for the Zone diet ( vs. the diet suggested by the Italian National Research Institute for Nutrition and Foods ) . Blood sample s were collected at the beginning of the experiment and after 35 ( cross-over ) and 70 days . The Profile of Mood States test ( POMS ) was also performed . RESULTS The arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid ratio ( AA/EPA ) was strongly reduced by Omega-3 with a supplementary effect of the diet and in particular the Zone diet . The AA/EPA reduction was correlated with a concomitant decrease of insulin and homocysteine levels . The Zone diet reduced skinfold thickness and body fat percentage and also showed antioxidant effects . The mood state changed after Omega-3 supplementation , with an increased POMS index . This was related to a concomitant reduction of AA/EPA and was particularly evident in the Zone diet . CONCLUSION AA/EPA and mood state are differently influenced by diet and Omega-3 , body fat is particularly reduced by Zone diet , while blood parameters such as triglycerides/HDL ratio , insulin and homocysteine are related to AA/EPA variations . These findings are discussed in terms of differences in the composition of the diets and the influences of Omega-3 on physiological functions BACKGROUND Omega3 fatty acids may inhibit neuronal signal transduction pathways in a manner similar to that of lithium carbonate and valproate , 2 effective treatments for bipolar disorder . The present study was performed to examine whether omega3 fatty acids also exhibit mood-stabilizing properties in bipolar disorder . METHODS A 4-month , double-blind , placebo-controlled study , comparing omega3 fatty acids ( 9.6 g/d ) vs placebo ( olive oil ) , in addition to usual treatment , in 30 patients with bipolar disorder . RESULTS A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the cohort found that the  omega3 fatty acid  patient group had a significantly longer period of remission than the placebo group ( P = .002 ; Mantel-Cox ) . In addition , for nearly every other outcome measure , the omega3 fatty acid group performed better than the placebo group . CONCLUSION Omega3 fatty acids were well tolerated and improved the short-term course of illness in this preliminary study of patients with bipolar disorder OBJECTIVE Major depressive disorder in children may be more common than previously thought , and its therapeutics are unclear . Because of success in a previous study on omega-3 fatty acids in adult major depressive disorder , the authors planned a pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids in childhood major depression . METHOD Children who entered the study were between the ages of 6 and 12 . Ratings were performed at baseline and at 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , and 16 weeks using Children 's Depression Rating Scale ( CDRS ) , Children 's Depression Inventory ( CDI ) , and Clinical Global Impression ( CGI ) .  Children were r and omized to  omega-3 fatty acids or placebo as pharmacologic monotherapy . Twenty-eight patients were r and omized , and 20 completed at least 1 month 's ratings . RESULTS Analysis of variance showed highly significant effects of omega-3 on symptoms using the CDRS , CDI , and CGI . CONCLUSIONS Omega-3 fatty acids may have therapeutic benefits in childhood depression Several clinical studies showed beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids in major affective disorders , including resistant depression . Some antidepressants are also effective , albeit less so , in obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) . We therefore undertook a preliminary placebo-controlled cross-over trial of adjunctive eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) in OCD . Eleven patients with current obsessive-compulsive disorder , who were on a stable maximally tolerated dose of SSRI with no further improvement over at least the last two months , were recruited . Subjects were r and omly allocated to begin 6 weeks of placebo ( 2 g liquid paraffin per day ) followed by 6 weeks of 2 g of EPA or EPA followed by placebo . Patients continued their prior SSRIs at the same dose . Assessment s were performed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale ( YBOCS ) , and the Hamilton Rating Scales for depression ( HAM-D ) and anxiety ( HAM-A ) . There were no effects of order of treatment . Time had a main effect of YBOCS scores ; mean scores declined from 26.0 ( + /-5 ) to 17.6 ( + /-6 ) by week 6 on placebo and to 18.5 ( + /-4 ) on EPA . There were no effects on HAM-D and HAM-A. No clinical ly relevant side effects were reported . The results of this study suggest that adjunctive EPA is ineffective against OCD OBJECTIVE This study determined if augmentation of neuroleptics with 3 g/day of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) improves symptoms and cognition in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder . METHOD Eighty-seven patients meeting criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who had residual symptoms despite neuroleptic treatment were r and omly assigned to receive either 3 g/day of ethyl EPA ( N=43 ) or placebo ( N=44 ) in a 16-week , double-blind supplementation trial . Assessment s were performed at baseline and at weeks 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , and 16 ; a cognitive battery was administered at baseline and at week 16 . RESULTS No differences were found between groups in positive or negative symptoms , mood , cognition , or global impression ratings . Results were similar for the intention-to-treat ( N=87 ) and completer ( N=75 ) groups . CONCLUSIONS For schizophrenia patients treated with 3 g/day of ethyl EPA , improvement in residual symptoms and cognitive impairment was no greater than for schizophrenia patients treated with placebo Objective To replicate the treatment study by Behan et al. ( 1990 ) using current research criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ( CFS ) OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content and indices of depression and information processing for women who breast-feed . STUDY DESIGN Mothers who planned to breast-feed their infants were assigned r and omly in a double-masked fashion to receive either docosahexaenoic acid ( approximately 200 mg/d ) or placebo for the first 4 months after the delivery . Major outcome variables included plasma phospholipid fatty acid patterns and scores on a self-rating question naire of current depression symptoms . A structured clinical interview of depression , scores on another self-rating question naire of depression symptoms , and a laboratory measure of information processing were obtained in subgroups of the total population . RESULTS Plasma phospholipid contents of docosahexaenoic acid at baseline were 3.15 + /- 0.78 and 3.31 + /- 0.70 ( mg/dL of total fatty acids ) in the docosahexaenoic acid and placebo groups , respectively . After 4 months , the plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of the docosahexaenoic acid group was 8 % higher ( 3.40 + /- 0.97 mg/dL ) , whereas that of the placebo group was 31 % lower ( 2.27 + /- 0.87 mg/dL ) . Despite the higher plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of the supplemented group after 4 months , there was no difference between groups in either self-rating or diagnostic measures of depression ; information processing scores of the two groups also did not differ . CONCLUSION Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation ( approximately 200 mg/d ) for 4 months after the delivery prevented the usual decline in plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of women who breastfeed but did not influence self-ratings of depression , diagnostic measures of depression , or information processing OBJECTIVE Studies have reported that countries with high rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of depressive disorder . The authors studied a specific omega-3 fatty acid , the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid ( E-EPA ) , as an adjunct to treatment for depressive episodes occurring in patients with recurrent unipolar depressive disorder who were receiving maintenance antidepressant therapy . METHOD Twenty patients with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week , parallel-group , double-blind addition of either placebo or E-EPA to ongoing antidepressant therapy .  Seventeen of the patients were women , and three were men . RESULTS Highly significant benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were found by week 3 of treatment . CONCLUSIONS It is not possible to distinguish whether E-EPA augments antidepressant action in the manner of lithium or has independent antidepressant properties of its own BACKGROUND It has been hypothesized that depletion of cell membrane n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) , particularly docosahexanoic acid ( DHA ) , may be of etiological importance in depression . METHODS We measured the fatty acid composition of phospholipid in cell membranes from red blood cells ( RBC ) of 15 depressive patients and 15 healthy control subjects . RESULTS Depressive patients showed significant depletions of total n3 PUFA and particularly DHA . Incubation of RBC from control subjects with hydrogen peroxide abolished all significant differences between patients and controls . CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that RBC membranes in depressive patients show evidence of oxidative damage . Possible interpretations , and implication s for the etiology and treatment of depression , are discussed OBJECTIVE This study was an evaluation of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) for the treatment of major depression . METHOD Thirty-six depressed patients were r and omly assigned to receive DHA , 2 g/day , or placebo for 6 weeks . Response was defined a priori as a > or = 50 % reduction in the score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale .  Thirty-five participants were evaluable ; 18 received DHA , and 17 received placebo . RESULTS Response rates were 27.8 % in the DHA group and 23.5 % in the placebo group . The difference in response rates between groups did not reach statistical significance . CONCLUSIONS This trial failed to show a significant effect of DHA monotherapy in subjects with major depression BACKGROUND Since low fish consumption and omega-3 fatty acids have recently been linked with depression , we investigated by means of a large , general population data base , whether a low fish consumption is associated with increased risk of developing depression . METHODS The Northern Finl and 1966 Birth Cohort was followed up prospect ively from pregnancy up to the age of 31 years . The data 
    Output:
    
agent
***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***DOCUMENTATION*** 
    ***EXAMPLES*** 
    Input: OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid ( E-EPA ) and placebo in the treatment of female subjects with borderline personality disorder . METHOD The authors conducted an 8-week , placebo-controlled , double-blind study of E-EPA in 30 female subjects meeting Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines and DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder . RESULTS Twenty subjects were r and omly assigned to 1 g of E-EPA ; 10 subjects were given placebo . Ninety percent of those in both groups completed all 8 weeks of the trial . Analyses that used r and om-effects regression modeling and controlled for baseline severity showed E-EPA to be superior to placebo in diminishing aggression as well as the severity of depressive symptoms . CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that E-EPA may be a safe and effective form of monotherapy for women with moderately severe borderline personality disorder Patients with depression have been extensively reported to be associated with the abnormality of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFAs ) , including significantly low eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid in cell tissue contents ( red blood cell membrane , plasma , etc . ) and dietary intake . However , more evidence is needed to support its relation . In this study , we conducted an 8-week , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial , comparing omega-3 PUFAs ( 6.6 g/day ) [ corrected ] with placebo , on the top of the usual treatment , in 28 patients with major depressive disorder . Patients in the omega-3 PUFA group had a significantly decreased score on the 21-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression than those in the placebo group ( P < 0.001 ) . From the preliminary findings in this study , omega-3 PUFAs could improve the short-term course of illness and were well tolerated in patients with major depressive disorder BACKGROUND Diets and Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids have been considered as important factors to reduce the risk of cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases , but there are few details on the effects on healthy subjects . The aim of the present study was to examine the variation of several physiological parameters in healthy subjects on different diets supplemented with Omega-3 fatty acids .  MATERIAL S AND METHODS The experiment was carried out on 33 subjects divided into four groups according to a double-blind cross-over design with a 1 : 1 ratio for Omega-3 ( vs. placebo ) and open-label parallel-groups with a 1 : 1 ratio for the Zone diet ( vs. the diet suggested by the Italian National Research Institute for Nutrition and Foods ) . Blood sample s were collected at the beginning of the experiment and after 35 ( cross-over ) and 70 days . The Profile of Mood States test ( POMS ) was also performed . RESULTS The arachidonic acid/eicosapentaenoic acid ratio ( AA/EPA ) was strongly reduced by Omega-3 with a supplementary effect of the diet and in particular the Zone diet . The AA/EPA reduction was correlated with a concomitant decrease of insulin and homocysteine levels . The Zone diet reduced skinfold thickness and body fat percentage and also showed antioxidant effects . The mood state changed after Omega-3 supplementation , with an increased POMS index . This was related to a concomitant reduction of AA/EPA and was particularly evident in the Zone diet . CONCLUSION AA/EPA and mood state are differently influenced by diet and Omega-3 , body fat is particularly reduced by Zone diet , while blood parameters such as triglycerides/HDL ratio , insulin and homocysteine are related to AA/EPA variations . These findings are discussed in terms of differences in the composition of the diets and the influences of Omega-3 on physiological functions BACKGROUND Omega3 fatty acids may inhibit neuronal signal transduction pathways in a manner similar to that of lithium carbonate and valproate , 2 effective treatments for bipolar disorder . The present study was performed to examine whether omega3 fatty acids also exhibit mood-stabilizing properties in bipolar disorder . METHODS A 4-month , double-blind , placebo-controlled study , comparing omega3 fatty acids ( 9.6 g/d ) vs placebo ( olive oil ) , in addition to usual treatment , in 30 patients with bipolar disorder . RESULTS A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of the cohort found that the  omega3 fatty acid  patient group had a significantly longer period of remission than the placebo group ( P = .002 ; Mantel-Cox ) . In addition , for nearly every other outcome measure , the omega3 fatty acid group performed better than the placebo group . CONCLUSION Omega3 fatty acids were well tolerated and improved the short-term course of illness in this preliminary study of patients with bipolar disorder OBJECTIVE Major depressive disorder in children may be more common than previously thought , and its therapeutics are unclear . Because of success in a previous study on omega-3 fatty acids in adult major depressive disorder , the authors planned a pilot study of omega-3 fatty acids in childhood major depression . METHOD Children who entered the study were between the ages of 6 and 12 . Ratings were performed at baseline and at 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , and 16 weeks using Children 's Depression Rating Scale ( CDRS ) , Children 's Depression Inventory ( CDI ) , and Clinical Global Impression ( CGI ) .  Children were r and omized to  omega-3 fatty acids or placebo as pharmacologic monotherapy . Twenty-eight patients were r and omized , and 20 completed at least 1 month 's ratings . RESULTS Analysis of variance showed highly significant effects of omega-3 on symptoms using the CDRS , CDI , and CGI . CONCLUSIONS Omega-3 fatty acids may have therapeutic benefits in childhood depression Several clinical studies showed beneficial effects of omega-3 fatty acids in major affective disorders , including resistant depression . Some antidepressants are also effective , albeit less so , in obsessive-compulsive disorder ( OCD ) . We therefore undertook a preliminary placebo-controlled cross-over trial of adjunctive eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) in OCD . Eleven patients with current obsessive-compulsive disorder , who were on a stable maximally tolerated dose of SSRI with no further improvement over at least the last two months , were recruited . Subjects were r and omly allocated to begin 6 weeks of placebo ( 2 g liquid paraffin per day ) followed by 6 weeks of 2 g of EPA or EPA followed by placebo . Patients continued their prior SSRIs at the same dose . Assessment s were performed with the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale ( YBOCS ) , and the Hamilton Rating Scales for depression ( HAM-D ) and anxiety ( HAM-A ) . There were no effects of order of treatment . Time had a main effect of YBOCS scores ; mean scores declined from 26.0 ( + /-5 ) to 17.6 ( + /-6 ) by week 6 on placebo and to 18.5 ( + /-4 ) on EPA . There were no effects on HAM-D and HAM-A. No clinical ly relevant side effects were reported . The results of this study suggest that adjunctive EPA is ineffective against OCD OBJECTIVE This study determined if augmentation of neuroleptics with 3 g/day of ethyl eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) improves symptoms and cognition in patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder . METHOD Eighty-seven patients meeting criteria for schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder who had residual symptoms despite neuroleptic treatment were r and omly assigned to receive either 3 g/day of ethyl EPA ( N=43 ) or placebo ( N=44 ) in a 16-week , double-blind supplementation trial . Assessment s were performed at baseline and at weeks 1 , 2 , 4 , 8 , 12 , and 16 ; a cognitive battery was administered at baseline and at week 16 . RESULTS No differences were found between groups in positive or negative symptoms , mood , cognition , or global impression ratings . Results were similar for the intention-to-treat ( N=87 ) and completer ( N=75 ) groups . CONCLUSIONS For schizophrenia patients treated with 3 g/day of ethyl EPA , improvement in residual symptoms and cognitive impairment was no greater than for schizophrenia patients treated with placebo Objective To replicate the treatment study by Behan et al. ( 1990 ) using current research criteria for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ( CFS ) OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of docosahexaenoic acid supplementation on plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content and indices of depression and information processing for women who breast-feed . STUDY DESIGN Mothers who planned to breast-feed their infants were assigned r and omly in a double-masked fashion to receive either docosahexaenoic acid ( approximately 200 mg/d ) or placebo for the first 4 months after the delivery . Major outcome variables included plasma phospholipid fatty acid patterns and scores on a self-rating question naire of current depression symptoms . A structured clinical interview of depression , scores on another self-rating question naire of depression symptoms , and a laboratory measure of information processing were obtained in subgroups of the total population . RESULTS Plasma phospholipid contents of docosahexaenoic acid at baseline were 3.15 + /- 0.78 and 3.31 + /- 0.70 ( mg/dL of total fatty acids ) in the docosahexaenoic acid and placebo groups , respectively . After 4 months , the plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of the docosahexaenoic acid group was 8 % higher ( 3.40 + /- 0.97 mg/dL ) , whereas that of the placebo group was 31 % lower ( 2.27 + /- 0.87 mg/dL ) . Despite the higher plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of the supplemented group after 4 months , there was no difference between groups in either self-rating or diagnostic measures of depression ; information processing scores of the two groups also did not differ . CONCLUSION Docosahexaenoic acid supplementation ( approximately 200 mg/d ) for 4 months after the delivery prevented the usual decline in plasma phospholipid docosahexaenoic acid content of women who breastfeed but did not influence self-ratings of depression , diagnostic measures of depression , or information processing OBJECTIVE Studies have reported that countries with high rates of fish oil consumption have low rates of depressive disorder . The authors studied a specific omega-3 fatty acid , the ethyl ester of eicosapentaenoic acid ( E-EPA ) , as an adjunct to treatment for depressive episodes occurring in patients with recurrent unipolar depressive disorder who were receiving maintenance antidepressant therapy . METHOD Twenty patients with a current diagnosis of major depressive disorder participated in a 4-week , parallel-group , double-blind addition of either placebo or E-EPA to ongoing antidepressant therapy .  Seventeen of the patients were women , and three were men . RESULTS Highly significant benefits of the addition of the omega-3 fatty acid compared with placebo were found by week 3 of treatment . CONCLUSIONS It is not possible to distinguish whether E-EPA augments antidepressant action in the manner of lithium or has independent antidepressant properties of its own BACKGROUND It has been hypothesized that depletion of cell membrane n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids ( PUFA ) , particularly docosahexanoic acid ( DHA ) , may be of etiological importance in depression . METHODS We measured the fatty acid composition of phospholipid in cell membranes from red blood cells ( RBC ) of 15 depressive patients and 15 healthy control subjects . RESULTS Depressive patients showed significant depletions of total n3 PUFA and particularly DHA . Incubation of RBC from control subjects with hydrogen peroxide abolished all significant differences between patients and controls . CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that RBC membranes in depressive patients show evidence of oxidative damage . Possible interpretations , and implication s for the etiology and treatment of depression , are discussed OBJECTIVE This study was an evaluation of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) for the treatment of major depression . METHOD Thirty-six depressed patients were r and omly assigned to receive DHA , 2 g/day , or placebo for 6 weeks . Response was defined a priori as a > or = 50 % reduction in the score on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale .  Thirty-five participants were evaluable ; 18 received DHA , and 17 received placebo . RESULTS Response rates were 27.8 % in the DHA group and 23.5 % in the placebo group . The difference in response rates between groups did not reach statistical significance . CONCLUSIONS This trial failed to show a significant effect of DHA monotherapy in subjects with major depression BACKGROUND Since low fish consumption and omega-3 fatty acids have recently been linked with depression , we investigated by means of a large , general population data base , whether a low fish consumption is associated with increased risk of developing depression . METHODS The Northern Finl and 1966 Birth Cohort was followed up prospect ively from pregnancy up to the age of 31 years . The data 
    Output:
    