Abstract
In the pathogenesis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), fear memory becomes excessively consolidated and extinction learning does not progress. Based on the animal research to date, the level of hippocampal neurogenesis was able to be modulated and was associated with a causal relationship between adult neurogenesis and the hippocampus-dependent period of fear memory. It is theoretically possible that promoting adult neurogenesis early in the transition period might facilitate the clearance of fear memory from the hippocampus. Omega-3 fatty acid promoted the development of hippocampal neurons in vitro by increasing neurite extension and branching as well as the maturation of neurons and hippocampal neurogenesis in adult rats. We focused on a conceptual model of fear memory and propose a new, rationally hypothesized translational preventive intervention for PTSD through promoting hippocampal neurogenesis by omega-3 fatty acid supplementation. The results of our two clinical trials in Japan suggest that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can reduce subsequent PTSD symptoms.
