Cognitive Function

Eating Fish Slows Aging of the Brain
In brief, researchers looked at people 65 years of age and over to see if intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids protected against “age-related cognitive decline.”

Green Tea and Cognitive Function
Researchers writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition say that green tea consumption can improve cognitive function. The researchers measured the effects of drinking 3 cups a week, 4 to 6 cups a week, and two cups a day.

Poor Sleep and Cognitive Function
Researchers writing in the medical journal The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences say that Disturbed Sleep was related to poorer cognition.

Nutrition in Brain Development and Aging: Role of Essential Fatty Acids
Researchers writing in the the medical journal Nutrition Reviews say that essential fatty acids (EFAs) are increasingly seen to be of value in limiting the cognitive decline during aging.

Physical Function and Future Dementia
Medical researchers writing in the medical journal the Archives of Internal Medicine say that “Lower levels of physical performance were associated with an increased risk of dementia and AD (Alzheimer’s Disease)

Postmenopause and Cognitive Performance
Researchers writing in the medical journal Maturitas look into the nature of cognitive decline across a range of functions within a period of 5 years from early to late postmenopausal stage.

Low Estradiol Levels and Cognitive Function
Researchers writing in the medical journal Neurobiology of Aging, say that “Older women with low estradiol levels were more likely to experience decline in global cognitive function and verbal memory, and a similar trend was observed for verbal memory in men.”

Testosterone, Alzheimer’s, Mood and Quality of Life

Effects of Testosterone on Cognition and Mood in Male Patients With Mild Alzheimer Disease and Healthy Elderly Men. Lu PH, Masterman DA, Mulnard R, Cotman C, Miller B, Yaffe K, Reback E, Porter V, Swerdloff R, Cummings JL. Arch Neurol. 2005 Dec 12

From the study abstract: “There is a compelling need for therapies that prevent, defer the onset, slow the progression, or improve the symptoms of Alzheimer disease (AD).

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of testosterone therapy on cognition, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in male patients with mild AD and healthy elderly men.

RESULTS: For the patients with AD, the testosterone-treated group had significantly greater improvements in the scores on the caregiver version of the quality-of-life scale. No significant treatment group differences were detected in the cognitive scores at end of study, although numerically greater improvement or less decline on measures of visuospatial functions was demonstrated with testosterone treatment compared with placebo.

In the healthy control group, a nonsignificant trend toward greater improvement in self-rated quality of life was observed in the testosterone-treated group compared with placebo treatment. No difference between the treatment groups was detected in the remaining outcome measures. Testosterone treatment was well tolerated with few adverse effects relative to placebo.”

CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that testosterone replacement therapy improved overall quality of life in patients with AD. Testosterone had minimal effects on cognition.

Read the abstract