Can a wild green oat extract enhance attention and concentration in adults under demanding conditions?

Volunteers will consume a 1500mg dose of Avena sativa extract (Neuravena 'registered trade mark') daily for 12 weeks. This supplement will be delivered orally in capsule form. Subjects will have three separate visits to the Nutritional Physiology Research Centre (of 2 hours duration each). Following a baseline visit they will be randomised to consume a placebo or a 1500mg dose of Neuravena 'registered trade mark' for 12 weeks, after which they will cross over to the alternate treatment. The visits will 12 weeks apart. The time between the final measurement on the first supplement and first measurement after the crossover will be 12 weeks, this will serve as the washout period. At each visit resting supine clinic blood pressure will be measured following internationally recognised guidelines. This will be followed by measurement of cerebral blood flow during a carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge. Participants will then perform tests of attention, concentration, the ability to ignore distraction and to inhibit task-irrelevant information, namely the Stroop test, the Letter Cancellation task, the Rule Shift task, the Trail-Making test, the Dual Span Memory Task, and a multitasking Computerised Battery. Current mood will be assessed using Visual Analogue Scales, the mood states include: relaxed, alert, jittery, tired, tense, headache, mental fatigue and overall mood. These measures will be repeated at each visit.