@article{c23e44349f1b48e6b585cf9c1865fb44,
title = "Differences between Japan and Taiwan in the treatment of pregnant women with depressive symptoms by omega-3 fatty acids: An open-label pilot study",
abstract = "Objectives: Although safe approaches for improving depression in pregnancy are required and the efficacy of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has been suggested, the amount of supplemental omega-3 PUFAs has varied among previous studies and adequate amount might be different among countries. The aim of this pilot study is to explore the feasibility of using 1800 mg of omega-3 PUFAs supplementation for our future double-blind, placebo-control trial, and to clarify the clinical difference and the similarity between two sites of Japan and Taiwan. Methods: Pregnant women between 12 and 24 weeks{\textquoteright} gestation with depressive symptoms were recruited. Participants were supplemented daily with omega-3 PUFAs capsules containing 1206 mg eicosapentaenoic acid and 609 mg docosahexaenoic acid for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was change in total score on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD) at 12 weeks after supplementation. Results: Eight pregnant women in Japan and five in Taiwan participated in the study. A substantial proportion of pregnant women reported high consumption of omega-3 supplements and dietary fish were excluded in Taiwan rather than in Japan sites. The decrease in HAMD score from baseline to 12 weeks after the start of the intervention was significantly larger in Japanese participants than in Taiwanese participants (Wilcoxon rank sum test; P = 0.045). Discussion: The improvement of depressive symptoms was smaller at the Taiwan site than at the Japan site. Differences in psychopathology of recruited participants identified by self-rating scales might affect the degree of population heterogeneity and the treatment efficacy. A randomized-controlled trial is needed to confirm these findings. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01948596.",
keywords = "Clinical trial, Cultural difference, Depressive symptoms, Eicosapentaenoic acid, Nutritional psychiatry, Omega-3 fatty acids, Pregnant women, Prevention",
author = "Daisuke Nishi and Su, {Kuan Pin} and Kentaro Usuda and Chang, {Jane Pei Chen} and Chiang, {Yi Ju Jill} and Guu, {Tai Wei} and Kei Hamazaki and Naoki Nakaya and Toshimasa Sone and Kenji Hashimoto and Tomohito Hamazaki and Matsuoka, {Yutaka J.}",
note = "Funding Information: grants from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Japan, and Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, and a lecture fee from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, and a manuscript fee from Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma Co., Ltd. Dr Kei Hamazaki received research support from an Intramural Research Grant for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders from the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry and a grant from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; consultant fees from Polyene Project, Inc. and scholarship donations from Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Dr Tomohito Hamazaki has received lecture fees from Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and travel expenses from Aker BioMarine. Dr Matsuoka has received an Intramural Research Grant for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders from the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Japan and a grant from Pfizer Health Research Foundation, as well as lecture fees from Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd, Suntory Wellness Ltd, DHA & EPA Association, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Funding Information: Data and Safety Monitoring Board : Koichiro Watanabe, MD, PhD, Kyorin University, Tomohiro Nakao, MD, PhD, Kyushu University, and Katsumi Ikeshita, MD, PhD, ICHI Mental Clinic Nipponbashi. We thank Miyuki Makino, Kasumi Araki, Natsuki Konno, and Yuuri Matsumura for participant recruitment and research coordination. We thank Yumiko Kamoshida for general research assistance, and Hiroko Hamatani and Shizuko Takebe for technical assistant in fatty acid analysis. We acknowledge the staff of Toda Chuo Women?s Hospital and Miss Grace Chien at the China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, for clinical data collection. Funding Information: 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan, 2National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan, 3Department of Psychiatry & Mind-Body Interface Laboratory (MBI-Lab), China Medical University Hospital & College of Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan, 4Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan, 5Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Miyagi, Japan, 6Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Tohoku Fukushi University, Miyagi, Japan, 7Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Chiba University Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba, Japan, 8Department of Medicine, Toyama Jonan Onsen Daini Hospital, Toyama, Japan, 9Division of Health Care Research, Center for Public Health Sciences, National Cancer Center, Tokyo, Japan Funding Information: Funding This work was supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science under a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) (25702043 to DN), National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Japan under intramural Research Projects of NCNP (27-3 to DN), the Ministry of Science and Technology Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017, {\textcopyright} 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.",
year = "2019",
month = jan,
day = "2",
doi = "10.1080/1028415X.2017.1354540",
language = "English",
volume = "22",
pages = "63--71",
journal = "Nutritional Neuroscience",
issn = "1028-415X",
publisher = "Maney Publishing",
number = "1",
}