{
  "abstract": "BACKGROUND: Metabolism of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 (Ω3) fatty acid (FA), differs between carriers of the epsilon 4 allele of the apolipoprotein E (APOE4)-the main genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease-and APOE3 carriers. Dietary DHA has been shown to prevent cognitive decline in APOE4 carriers. However, whether DHA must be consumed the whole life is unclear. We hypothesized that a DHA intake started later in life and for a shorter duration prevents cognitive decline in APOE4 mice. OBJECTIVE: To investigate three dietary durations of DHA on the prevention of cognitive decline in APOE4 mice. METHODS: Mice knock-in for the human APOE3 (control, n = 84; 34 males/50 females) or APOE4 (n = 84; 39 males/45 females) allele were fed either a DHA-free control diet for 8 months or a diet rich in calcium salt DHA (0.5 g DHA/100 g diet) for 2, 4 or 8 months. Recognition memory was assessed using the novel object recognition test. DHA was quantified using gas chromatography. RESULTS: APOE4 mice fed the control diet did not recognize the novel object as the APOE3 mice did suggesting cognitive decline in APOE4 mice. However, a DHA-Ca rich diet for 2 and 4 months prevented cognitive deficits in males (2M-P = 0.0414, 4M-P = 0.0073) and females (2M-P < 0.0001). 2-months DHA-Ca rich diet was associated with 18-25% higher cortical relative percentage of DHA in females and males compared to the control diet (Females-P = 0.0031; Males-P = 0.0010). CONCLUSION: In APOE4 mice, it is not necessary to consume DHA-calcium salt throughout life to prevent cognitive decline.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Rana Raffoul"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jessica Avila Lopez"
    },
    {
      "name": "Annick Vachon"
    },
    {
      "name": "Benoit Laurent"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mélanie Plourde"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/004x0qqap7brq.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.plefa.2026.102730",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "004x0qqap7brq",
  "issns": [
    "0952-3278"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05790348v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2916|Fatty Acid Research and Health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7133974507",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-09",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/004x0qqap7brq.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:53Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05790348",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05790348v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "hal:0.sdv",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Short-term docosahexaenoic acid rich diet prevents cognitive deficits in human apolipoprotein E epsilon 4-targeted replacement mice",
  "title_text": "Short-term docosahexaenoic acid rich diet prevents cognitive deficits in human apolipoprotein E epsilon 4-targeted replacement mice",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:53Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/004x0qqap7brq",
  "venue": "Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids",
  "versions": []
}