EFFECT OF CUCUMARIA JAPONICA EXTRACT ON COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN YOUNG ADULTS

Increasing evidence support a beneficial role of cocoa and cocoa products on human cognition, particularly in aging populations and patients at risk. However, thorough reviews on the efficacy of cocoa on brain processes in young adults do not exist precisely due to the limited number of studies in the matter. Thus, the aim of this study was to summarize the findings on the acute and chronic effects of cocoa administration on cognitive functions and brain health in young adults. Web of Science and PubMed databases were used to search for relevant trials. Human randomized controlled studies were selected according to PRISMA guidelines. Eleven intervention studies that involved a total of 366 participants investigating the role of cocoa on cognitive performance in children and young adults (average age ≤25 years old) were finally selected. Findings from individual studies confirm that acute and chronic cocoa intake have a positive effect on several cognitive outcomes. After acute consumption, these beneficial effects seem to be accompanied with an increase in cerebral blood flow or cerebral blood oxygenation. After chronic intake of cocoa flavanols in young adults, a better cognitive performance was found together with increased levels of neurotrophins. This systematic review further supports the beneficial effect of cocoa flavanols on cognitive function and neuroplasticity and indicates that such benefits are possible in early adulthood.

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THE POSSIBILITY OF LINKING SPONTANEOUS AND INDUCED NEUROCOGNITIVE PLASTICITY: CAN COGNITIVE TRAINING INFLUENCE COMPENSATORY BRAIN ACTIVITY IN OLDER ADULTS? THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL PREMISES

Acta Neuropsychologica ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0014.5290 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 507-523

Author(s):

Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Study Design ◽

Successful Aging ◽

Reference Group ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Before And After ◽

Theory Of Aging

One of the most important determinants of successful aging is cognitive ability. Although cognitive decline is a well-documented phenomenon characteristic of aging, it is acknowledged that aging can also be related to cognitive neuroplasticity that allows one to compensate the decline and adapt to it. Cognitive neuroplasticity may be spontaneous or induced by external influences. An example of the former is compensatory brain activity in older adults, and the latter – improvement in cognitive functioning under the influence of cognitive training. Both the compensatory brain activity of older adults and the effectiveness of cognitive training in this age group have already been extensively studied. However, it has not yet been examined whether they can be linked. The article indicates theoretical and empirical premises for the possibility of influencing compensatory brain activity in older adults by cognitive training. In the most comprehensive way the phenomenon of compensatory brain activity in older adults is addressed by the STAC model – the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition, which also provides the theoretical grounds for the possible impact of cognitive training on compensatory brain activity. There are also empirical arguments in favour of such an impact, but they are quite limited in nature. The reason for this is the lack of research directly addressing the problem of the consistency of brain activity changes resulting from cognitive training with the assumptions of compensatory brain activity models, such as STAC. The theoretical grounds for the linkage of compensatory brain activity in older adults with the influence of cognitive training are clear. However, the analysis of the studies discussed in the article suggests that failing to embed the study design within the theoretical framework of compensatory brain activity in older adults may lead to the exclusion of factors important in drawing conclusions about this phenomenon. The following elements of the study design were identified as necessary to include: participation of young adults in the study as a reference group, usage of tasks in different difficulty levels during the measurement of brain activity and consideration of the relation between brain activity and cognitive performance, and comparison of brain activity in relation to cognitive performance before and after training in both, older and young adults.

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Effects of the Amount and Frequency of Fluid Intake on Cognitive Performance and Mood among Young Adults in Baoding, Hebei, China: A Randomized Controlled Trial

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17238813 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (23) ◽

pp. 8813

Author(s):

Hairong He ◽

Jianfen Zhang ◽

Na Zhang ◽

Songming Du ◽

Shufang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Fluid Intake ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Urine Osmolality ◽

Memory Test ◽

Hydration Status ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Time Point

Water is a critical nutrient that is important for the maintenance of the physiological function of the human body. This article aimed to investigate the effects of the amount and frequency of fluid intake on cognitive performance and mood. A double-blinded randomized controlled trial was designed and implemented on college students aged 18–23 years in Baoding, China. Participants were randomly assigned into one of three groups: the recommended behavior group (RB group) who drank 200 mL of water every 2 h, the half amount group (HA group) who drank 100 mL of water every 2 h, and the high frequency group (HF group) who drank 110 mL of water every 1 h. The intervention lasted 2 days. Urine osmolality, cognitive performance, and mood of participants in each group were compared using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A total of 92 participants (46 females, 46 males) completed this study with a completion rate of 95.8%. The urine osmolality of the HA group was higher than that of the RB group and the HF group at two time points (p < 0.05). At time point 1, the scores in the portrait memory test and vigor were statistically different (F = 20.45, p < 0.001; F = 5.46, p = 0.006). It was found that the scores for the portrait memory test in the RB group were lower than those in the HA group and the HF group (p = 0.007; p < 0.001), while the scores of the HF group were higher than those of the HA group (p < 0.001). The scores for vigor in the RB group were significantly higher than those of the HA group (p = 0.006), and they were also significantly higher than those of the HF group (p = 0.004). At time point 2, only the scores for vigor were statistically different (F = 3.80, p = 0.026). It was found that the scores for vigor in the RB group were higher than those in the HA group and HF group (p = 0.018; p = 0.019). Both the amount and frequency of fluid intake may affect urine osmolality and vigor, but these factors have limited impacts on cognitive performance. Rational fluid intake behavior may be beneficial to improve the hydration status and mood of young adults. More research is needed, especially experimental research, to allow causal conclusions to be drawn.

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Effect of Queen’s College Step Test on Cognitive Performance among Young Adults

journal biology of exercise ◽

10.4127/jbe.2017.0116 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 59-75

Author(s):

Debojyoti Bhattacharyya ◽

◽

Suranjana Sen ◽

Subhojit Chatterjee ◽

Tirthankar Chatterjee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Step Test

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P2-593: DIETARY PATTERNS DURING EARLY ADULTHOOD AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN MIDLIFE: THE CORONARY ARTERY RISK DEVELOPMENT IN YOUNG ADULTS (CARDIA) STUDY

Alzheimer s & Dementia ◽

10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.1288 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 14 (7S_Part_17) ◽

pp. P965-P965

Author(s):

Claire T. McEvoy ◽

Tina D. Hoang ◽

Stephen Sidney ◽

Lyn M. Steffen ◽

David R. Jacobs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Coronary Artery ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Dietary Patterns ◽

Early Adulthood

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A Systematic Review of the Effect of Dietary Supplements on Cognitive Performance in Healthy Young Adults and Military Personnel

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12020545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 545 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Diane E. Pomeroy ◽

Katie L. Tooley ◽

Bianka Probert ◽

Alexandra Wilson ◽

Eva Kemps

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Young Adults ◽

Dietary Supplements ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Military Personnel ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Cognitive Outcome ◽

Control Group ◽

Wide Range ◽

Cognitive Benefits

Intake of dietary supplements has increased, despite evidence that some of these have adverse side effects and uncertainty about their effectiveness. This systematic review examined the evidence for the cognitive benefits of a wide range of dietary supplements in healthy young adult samples; the aim was to identify if any might be useful for optimising cognitive performance during deployment in military personnel. Searches were conducted in 9 databases and 13 grey literature repositories for relevant studies published between January 2000 and June 2017. Eligible studies recruited healthy young adults (18–35 years), administered a legal dietary supplement, included a comparison control group, and assessed cognitive outcome(s). Thirty-seven of 394 identified studies met inclusion criteria and were included for synthesis. Most research was deemed of low quality (72.97%; SIGN50 guidelines), highlighting the need for sound empirical research in this area. Nonetheless, we suggest that tyrosine or caffeine could be used in healthy young adults in a military context to enhance cognitive performance when personnel are sleep-deprived. Caffeine also has the potential benefit of improving vigilance and attention during sustained operations offering little opportunity for sleep. Inconsistent findings and methodological limitations preclude firm recommendations about the use of other specific dietary supplements.

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