The NEURAPRO Study

Omega 3 Essential Fatty Acids in UHR intervention

Clinical Investigators: Prof Patrick McGorry, Prof Alison Yung, Assoc Prof Paul Amminger, Dr Barnaby Nelson

Over the last fifteen years, valid and reliable criteria have been developed for identifying individuals at ‘ultra-high risk’ (UHR) of imminent onset of psychotic disorder. A number of single-site intervention trials have been conducted in the UHR population.  These trials have indicated that specific psychological or pharmacological intervention may at least delay the onset of psychotic disorder in this population.   Recent evidence suggests that benign treatments may be sufficient as a first step in the UHR population.  A Vienna-based study found that eicosapentanoic acid (EPA/DHA), an omega-3 essential fatty acid, was effective in reducing the rate of transition to psychotic disorder in UHR adolescents. Using such benign treatments is an attractive option given the declining rates of transition to psychotic disorder in this population. A challenge in UHR intervention studies has been to recruit a sufficient number of participants to provide statistical power to address research questions. 
This background has provided the impetus for a new international multi-site randomised controlled trial in the UHR population led by ORC and funded by the Stanley Foundation. We aim to investigate whether EPA/DHA in addition to background clinical care of cognitive-behavioural case management (CBCM), is effective in reducing transition to psychotic disorder in the UHR population.  A secondary outcome of interest is the effect of this treatment on symptoms and functioning in the UHR group. 
Due to its large-scale design, positive results from this study will provide the strongest evidence to date that psychotic disorder can be delayed or prevented and that symptomatic and functional improvement can be achieved in the clinical ‘at-risk’ population.