Study Confirms Citicoline Boosts Mental Function
Lee Swanson Research Update
A study out of McLean Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, confirms that Cognizin® Citicoline, a dietary supplement composed of a powerful natural anti-aging compound, has been shown to support the improvement of brain function by promoting neural and cognitive performance.
The study was presented at the International Society of Sports Nutrition Annual Conference in New Orleans by Dr. Deborah Yurgelun-Todd.
In the study, 16 subjects were randomly chosen to receive 500 mg and 2,000 mg daily of citicoline for six weeks. The benefits observed were quantified by sophisticated brain imaging techniques, which showed healthy middle-aged adults had increased energy and electrical activity in the frontal lobe of the brain—the portion of the brain that controls higher thought, decision making and focus. The newer study is more specific than earlier studies about citicoline’s beneficial effect on the brain.
Several prior studies of citicoline, as well as this one, demonstrated the supplement’s effectiveness in providing essential structural components for synthesizing brain cell membranes and helping subjects maintain normal cognitive function as they age.
Dr. Yurgelun-Todd, director of Cognitive Neuroimaging at the Brain Institute of the University of Utah and Professor of Psychiatry, was the lead investigator of the study. "We’re excited about some of the ancillary benefits we’re seeing that have implications for improved attention, increased energy and even weight loss in our subjects," Dr. Yurgelun-Todd said.
Journal of NMR in BioMedicine, 21(10):1066-1075, 2008