Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) affect more than two percent of the population, yet there is little physicians know of that can be done to help improve the brain damage those children suffer. Utilizing a choline supplement after birth for children with FASDs could be a potential option, a University of Minnesota Medical School clinical trial found.
“Animal studies have demonstrated that choline can reduce some of the cognitive deficits caused by prenatal alcohol exposure when administered early on in development,” said Jeff Wozniak, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and lead author of the study. The study, the first in humans, was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition earlier this month.
The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial studied the impacts of a choline supplement as a neurocognitive treatment for children with FASDs. Choline, a water-soluble nutrient, is most commonly associated with the vitamin-B complex, and can be found naturally in eggs, legumes, beef or nuts.
Clinical trial participants received a daily supplement for nine months through a fruit-flavored drink mix specially developed for the study. The choline group showed memory improvements compared to the placebo group.
“The results are encouraging,” Wozniak said. “We saw small gains in memory performance over 9 months of choline supplementation compared to placebo. This level of improvement in memory performance could have significant impact on the child’s overall cognitive development.”
This is the first clinical trial to study choline’s effects on children with FASDs. The results could signal a new approach to treatment.
“Rather than treating the symptoms of the condition, we are attempting to alter the trajectory of brain development in a way that could be permanent,” Wozniak said.
There are still several variables to study, like dosing, duration of treatment and best age for treatment.
Going forward, Wozniak will continue to study the original clinical trial participants who are now 5-10 years old to analyze long-term effects, and replicate the study with a new trial group to compare results through a $1.5 million NIH grant with Michael Georgieff, M.D., professor in the Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School.
The study was supported by the University of Minnesota’s Clinical Translational Science Institute, which provided assistance in planning, running and monitoring the study.
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