Blueberries for brainpower: A systematic review and meta-analysis with Bayesian post hoc analysis of RCTS exploring cognitive function in the elderly with prior cognitive decline
da Silva ABN, de Oliveira GM, Gallo Ruelas M, Gadelha MSM, de Farias Santos ACF, Zamora FV
Biogerontology · 2 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Meta-analysis (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2025-08-26 · Biogerontology · vol. 26 · issue 5 · p. 171
- Publisher
- Springer Science+Business Media
- Cited
- 2 citations · more than 53% of similar papers · 0.5× the field average
- References
- 57 works
- Access
- Open access (hybrid journal) · CC-BY-NC-SA
- Research areas
- Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research · Frailty in Older Adults · Aging and Gerontology Research
- Keywords
- Meta-analysis, Cognition, Bayesian probability, Post hoc, Cognitive decline, Psychology, Post-hoc analysis, Medicine, Gerontology, Computer science, Neuroscience, Artificial intelligence, Internal medicine, Dementia
- MeSH
- humans, fruit, bayes theorem, cognition, aged, randomized controlled trials as topic, blueberry plants, cognitive dysfunction
6 authors
From BR, US, PE, GB
- Ana Beatriz Nardelli da Silva · correspondingUniversidade Federal do Pará
- Gabriel Moraes de OliveiraHarvard University; Massachusetts General Hospital; Universidade Federal de São Paulo
- Mariano Gallo RuelasInstituto de Investigación Nutricional
- M GadelhaUniversity of Edinburgh
- Ana Clara Felix de Farias SantosUniversidade Cidade de São Paulo
- Fernanda Valeriano ZamoraUniversidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Abstract
Blueberries are anthocyanin-rich fruits widely consumed by the general population, with well-established health benefits on the endocrine and cardiovascular systems attributed to their potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, the potential impact of blueberry consumption on cognitive function in elderly individuals with prior cognitive decline, such as Alzheimer's disease and dementia, remains insufficiently explored in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the potential effects of chronic blueberry consumption on cognitive performance in this population through various memory assessment tools. We searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effect of chronic blueberry consumption on cognitive function. We pooled standard mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. We identified nine eligible RCTs involving 513 patients. In elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline, blueberry intake showed a statistically significant improvement in episodic memory. (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.57; p 0.05), recognition memory (SMD = 0.14; 95% CI - 0.17 to 0.46, p > 0.05), visuospatial learning (SMD = 0.32; 95% CI - 0.16 to 0.79, p > 0.05) and working memory (SMD = 0.09; 95% CI - 0.21 to 0.39, p > 0.05). Chronic blueberry intake may improve episodic memory in the elderly with MCI and subjective cognitive decline, and also language in the elderly with MCI. These findings should be confirmed in further multicenter trials to confirm generalizability and long-term impact.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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