Jenny Lloyd

Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa monniera on human cognitive functioning: 90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial.

While Ayurvedic medicine has touted the cognitive enhancing effects of Bacopa monniera for centuries, there is a need for double‐blind placebo‐controlled investigations. One hundred and seven healthy participants were recruited for this double‐blind placebo‐controlled independent group design investigation. Sixty‐two participants completed the study with 80% treatment compliance. Neuropsychological testing using the Cognitive Drug Research cognitive assessment system was conducted at baseline and after 90 days of treatment with a special extract of Bacopa monniera (2 × 150 mg KeenMind) or placebo. The Bacopa monniera product significantly improved performance on the ‘Working Memory’ factor, more specifically spatial working memory accuracy. The number of false‐positives recorded in the Rapid visual information processing task was also reduced for the Bacopa monniera group following the treatment period. The current study provides support for the two other published studies reporting cognitive enhancing effects in healthy humans after a 90 day administration of the Bacopa monniera extract. Further studies are required to ascertain the effective dosage range, the time required to attain therapeutic levels and the effects over a longer term of administration. Copyright

The effects of 90-day supplementation with the omega-3 essential fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on cognitive function and visual acuity in a healthy aging population.

The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is essential for nervous system and retinal development and there is evidence to suggest that DHA deficiencies increase with normal aging. A triple-blind placebo-controlled randomized repeated-measures trial was conducted with 74 healthy participants, aged 45-77 years. Cognitive and visual acuity measures and plasma levels of DHA were determined at baseline and after 90 days of administration of either HiDHA(®) (Clover Corp., Sydney, NSW, Australia: 1000 mg of tuna oil; comprising 252 mg DHA, 60 mg EPA and 10 mg vitamin E) or placebo (1000 mg soybean oil). Ninety days of DHA supplementation was found to significantly raise both plasma DHA and total ω-3 plasma levels in the treatment group, as well as significantly lower total ω-6 levels. However, no significant effects of DHA supplementation on cognitive functioning were found. For participants with corrected vision, the group receiving DHA were found to have significantly better right eye visual acuity posttreatment in comparison with the placebo group (F(1,22) = 7.651; p = 0.011; partial η(2) = 0.258).

An examination of the effects of the antioxidant Pycnogenol ® on cognitive performance, serum lipid profile, endocrinological and oxidative stress biomarkers in an elderly population

The study examines the effects of the antioxidant flavonoid Pycnogenol on a range of cognitive and biochemical measures in healthy elderly individuals. The study used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, matched-pair design, with 101 elderly participants (60—85 years) consuming a daily dose of 150 mg of Pycnogenol for a three-month treatment period. Participants were assessed at baseline, then at 1, 2, and 3 months of the treatment. The control (placebo) and Pycnogenol groups were matched by age, sex, body mass index, micronutrient intake, and intelligence. The cognitive tasks comprised measures of attention, working memory, episodic memory, and psychomotor performance. The biological measures comprised levels of clinical hepatic enzymes, serum lipid profile, human growth hormone, and lipid peroxidation products. Statistically significant interactions were found for memory-based cognitive variables and lipid peroxidation products, with the Pycnogenol group displaying improved working memory and decreased concentrations of F2-isoprostanes relative to the control group.

The effect of 90 day administration of a high dose vitamin B‐complex on work stress

Occupational stress is increasing in Western societies and the impact is significant at a personal, organisational and community level. The present study examined for the first time the efficacy of 3 months administration of two forms of high dose vitamin B complex on mood and psychological strain associated with chronic work stress.

Erratum to: The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects.

The authors would like to bring to the attention of the readers two important methodological mistakes/omissions made in this paper as originally published. We stated that: BEach capsule contained 150 mg B. monniera extract (20:1) equivalent to 3 g dried herb^. This is incorrect and should read: BEach capsule contained 160 mg B. monniera extract equivalent to 4 g dried herb.^ We would also like to clarify that the concentration of extraction solvent in manufacturing Keenmind (CDRI08) was 75 % ethanol. We apologize for these errors. We relied on the information supplied to us by the manufacturers, which was incorrect.