The effects of chronic multivitamin supplementation on neurocognition in the elderly

s for accepted manuscripts Macpherson, H. , Ellis, K. , & Pipingas, A. (2011). Memory improvements in elderly women following 16 weeks treatment with a combined multivitamin, mineral and herbal supplement: A randomized controlled trial. Psychopharmacology, In Press Abstract: Rationale: There is potential for multivitamin supplementation to improve cognition in the elderly. This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effects of 16 weeks multivitamin supplementation (Swisse Women‟s 50+ Ultivite ®) on cognition in elderly women. Methods: Participants in this study were 56 community dwelling, elderly women, with subjective complaints of memory loss. Cognition was assessed using a computerised battery of memory and attention tasks designed to be sensitive to age-related declines to fluid intelligence, and a measure of verbal recall. Biochemical measures of selected nutrients, homocysteine, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood safety parameters were also collected. All cognitive and haematological parameters were assessed at baseline and 16 weeks post-treatment. Results: The multivitamin treatment was found to improve speed of response on a composite measure of the computerised memory subtests and on a measure of spatial working memory. Concurrently, the multivitamin increased blood levels of vitamins B6, B12, and E, and there was a trend for homocysteine to be reduced. There were no hepatotoxic effects of the Rationale: There is potential for multivitamin supplementation to improve cognition in the elderly. This randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted to investigate the effects of 16 weeks multivitamin supplementation (Swisse Women‟s 50+ Ultivite ®) on cognition in elderly women. Methods: Participants in this study were 56 community dwelling, elderly women, with subjective complaints of memory loss. Cognition was assessed using a computerised battery of memory and attention tasks designed to be sensitive to age-related declines to fluid intelligence, and a measure of verbal recall. Biochemical measures of selected nutrients, homocysteine, markers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and blood safety parameters were also collected. All cognitive and haematological parameters were assessed at baseline and 16 weeks post-treatment. Results: The multivitamin treatment was found to improve speed of response on a composite measure of the computerised memory subtests and on a measure of spatial working memory. Concurrently, the multivitamin increased blood levels of vitamins B6, B12, and E, and there was a trend for homocysteine to be reduced. There were no hepatotoxic effects of the multivitamin formula indicating this supplement was safe for everyday usage in the elderly. Conclusion: These findings indicate supplementation with a combined multivitamin, mineral and herbal formula may benefit memory performance in elderly at risk of cognitive decline. Appendix A Publications 294 Abstracts currently undergoing peer review Macpherson, H. , Silberstein, R. & Pipingas, A. Neurocognitive effects of multivitamin supplementation on the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) measure of brain activity in elderly women. Submitted to Physiology & Behavior. Objective: Growing evidence suggests that dietary supplementation with selected micronutrients and nutraceuticals may have the potential to improve cognition in older adults. Fewer studies have investigated the effects of these substances on brain activity. Methods: This study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, conducted to explore the effects of 16 weeks supplementation with a combined multivitamin, mineral and herbal formula on the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) measure of brain electrical activity. Participants were elderly women aged between 64 and 79 years, with subjective memory complaints. Baseline and post-treatment SSVEP data was obtained for 22 participants in the multivitamin group and 19 in the placebo group. A spatial working memory delayed response task (DRT) was performed during the recording of the SSVEP. Results: Behavioural performance on the DRT was not improved by the multivitamin and there no multivitamin-related effects on SSVEP amplitude. The results revealed that when compared to placebo, multivitamin supplementation delayed SSVEP latency during retrieval, interpreted as an increase in inhibitory neural processes. Conclusion: These findings indicate that in the elderly, multivitamin supplementation may influence cognition by enhancing neural efficiency. Appendix A Publications 295 Abstracts for conference presentations related to this thesis Macpherson, H. , Pipingas A. , & Ellis, K. (2011). Can taking a daily multivitamin improve cognitive performance in the elderly? Evidence from a steady state visually evoked potential investigation of memory in elderly women. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 77(3), 261. Abstract from the 15 World Congress of Psychophysiology of the International Organization of Psychophysiology, Budapest, Hungary, September 1-4, 2010. Abstract: Background: The concept of healthy cognitive ageing is gaining importance as rapid population ageing is taking place in the western world. As a consequence there is a growing interest in the potential for nutritional interventions to improve cognitive function in the elderly. Many vitamins such as the B vitamins and antioxidants are essential for normal neurophysiological function and a relationship between these vitamins and cognition in the elderly has been established in population studies. However, results from randomised controlled trials have been less promising, possibly due to methodological inconsistencies. To date, no studies have used electrophysiological measures to assess cognitive changes following multivitamin supplementation. Study Design, Aims and Hypotheses: The present study utilized the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) elicited by a task irrelevant 13 Hz light flicker to investigate the effects of multivitamin supplementation on working memory. The trial was designed as a 16 week, double blind, placebo controlled investigation into the effects of daily multivitamin supplementation on a battery of computerised cognitive tasks, verbal recall measures, and the SSVEP associated with performance of a spatial working memory (SWM) task. It was hypothesised that multivitamin supplementation would improve speed of response on computerised memory and information processing tasks and that effects of the multivitamin would be observed on the SSVEP. Method: Participants were 51 elderly women, free from dementia and aged between 64 and 82 years. At baseline, participants completed the Swinburne University Computerised Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB) and the logical memory sub-test from the Weschler Memory Scale. The SSVEP was elicited by a 13Hz light flicker superimposed on the visual field and was recorded from 64 electrode channels during the performance of a Background: The concept of healthy cognitive ageing is gaining importance as rapid population ageing is taking place in the western world. As a consequence there is a growing interest in the potential for nutritional interventions to improve cognitive function in the elderly. Many vitamins such as the B vitamins and antioxidants are essential for normal neurophysiological function and a relationship between these vitamins and cognition in the elderly has been established in population studies. However, results from randomised controlled trials have been less promising, possibly due to methodological inconsistencies. To date, no studies have used electrophysiological measures to assess cognitive changes following multivitamin supplementation. Study Design, Aims and Hypotheses: The present study utilized the steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) elicited by a task irrelevant 13 Hz light flicker to investigate the effects of multivitamin supplementation on working memory. The trial was designed as a 16 week, double blind, placebo controlled investigation into the effects of daily multivitamin supplementation on a battery of computerised cognitive tasks, verbal recall measures, and the SSVEP associated with performance of a spatial working memory (SWM) task. It was hypothesised that multivitamin supplementation would improve speed of response on computerised memory and information processing tasks and that effects of the multivitamin would be observed on the SSVEP. Method: Participants were 51 elderly women, free from dementia and aged between 64 and 82 years. At baseline, participants completed the Swinburne University Computerised Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB) and the logical memory sub-test from the Weschler Memory Scale. The SSVEP was elicited by a 13Hz light flicker superimposed on the visual field and was recorded from 64 electrode channels during the performance of a Appendix A Publications 296 SWM delayed response task and a control task. The same procedure using alternate forms of the cognitive tests was repeated at the 16 week post-treatment assessment. Results: The results indicated that the 16 week multivitamin treatment significantly improved response time for spatial working memory and a composite memory measure from the SUCCAB. No effects of the multivitamin were identified for the information processing measures from the SUCCAB or for verbal memory. Following multivitamin supplementation, SSVEP amplitude during the SWM task was significantly reduced and latency was increased at right frontal, central and temporal sites across the task duration. In contrast, these effects were smaller, and less extensive in the placebo group, reaching significance only at occipital sites. As better working memory task performance across all participants at baseline was associated with larger frontal latency increases, this pattern of activity in those who received the m