LCPUFA supplementation improved performance on means-end problem solving at 9 months of age. Given that performance on means-end problem solving is correlated with later IQ and vocabulary, this implies that the cognitive benefits of DHA-supplementation might persist well beyond infancy.
LCPUFA-supplemented infants demonstrate a more mature state of attentional control in that they can disengage their attentional more readily from one component of the task, and move quickly to the next. LCPUFAs improve attention control by facilitating the development of the prefrontal cortex.
The neuronal membranes within the prefrontal cortex are particularly sensitive to both DHA deficiency and DHA supplementation.