Enhanced neural activation with blueberry supplementation in mild cognitive impairment
Boespflug EL, Eliassen JC, Dudley JA, Shidler MD, Kalt W, Summer SS, Stein AL, Stover AN, Krikorian R
Nutritional neuroscience · 123 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Food diaries or recalls
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- Government
- National Institute on Aging
- Government
- NIA NIH HHS
- Grants
- National Institute on Aging (R01 AG034617); National Institute on Aging (AG034617-01S2)
Based on 2 listed funder(s).
Publication
- Published
- 2017-02-21 · Nutr Neurosci · vol. 21 · issue 4 · pp. 297–305
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Cited
- 170 citations · more than 96% of similar papers · 4.1× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 38 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy)
- Research areas
- Phytochemicals and Antioxidant Activities · Plant Gene Expression Analysis · Ginkgo biloba and Cashew Applications
- Keywords
- Neurocognitive, Dementia, Functional magnetic resonance imaging, Cognition, Effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, Medicine, Cognitive decline, Episodic memory, Randomized controlled trial, Population, Audiology, Placebo, Neuropsychology, Psychology, Internal medicine, Neuroscience, Psychiatry
- MeSH
- brain, frontal lobe, prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, humans, fruit, dementia, anthocyanins, magnetic resonance imaging, double-blind method, memory, short-term, dietary supplements, aged, aged, 80 and over, female, male, blueberry plants, cognitive dysfunction
9 authors
From US, CA
- Erin L. BoespflugUniversity of Cincinnati Medical Center
- James C. EliassenUniversity of Cincinnati Medical Center
- Jonathan A. DudleyUniversity of Cincinnati Medical Center
- Marcelle D. ShidlerUniversity of Cincinnati Medical Center
- Wilhelmina KaltAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Suzanne S. SummerCincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Abstract
Objectives
Preclinical studies have shown that blueberry supplementation can improve cognitive performance and neural function in aged animals and have identified associations between anthocyanins and such benefits. Preliminary human trials also suggest cognitive improvement in older adults, although direct evidence of enhancement of brain function has not been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the effect of blueberry supplementation on regional brain activation in older adults at risk for dementia.
Methods
In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial we performed pre- and post-intervention functional magnetic resonance imaging during a working memory (WM) task to assess the effect of blueberry supplementation on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a risk condition for dementia.
Results
Following daily supplementation for 16 weeks, blueberry-treated participants exhibited increased BOLD activation in the left pre-central gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left inferior parietal lobe during WM load conditions (corrected P < 0.01). There was no clear indication of WM enhancement associated with blueberry supplementation. Diet records indicated no between-group difference in anthocyanin consumption external to the intervention.
Discussion
These data demonstrate, for the first time, enhanced neural response during WM challenge in blueberry-treated older adults with cognitive decline and are consistent with prior trials showing neurocognitive benefit with blueberry supplementation in this at-risk population.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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