Dietary prevention of visual function and cognitive decline by omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in Senescence Accelerated Mouse P8 (SAM P8)

International audience; Purpose: : Neuronal tissues such as the brain and the retina contain elevated amounts of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and particularly docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA concentrations are known to decrease in the aging brain and are associated with cognitive decline. The senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAM P8) is a mouse model for aging that exhibits deficits in cognitive performances as well as alterations of retinal functionality (ARVO 2004 E-abstract 797). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a dietary supplementation with DHA on mood, cognition and visual functionality of SAM P8 during aging. Methods: : SAM P8 mice we…