Effects of Dietary Interventions on the Aging Brain

Phase IV Interventional Study: Effects of Dietary Interventions on Brain Functions in Healthy Elderly People

Status

UNKNOWN

Phases

Phase 3

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00996229

Enrollment

300

Registered

2009-10-16

Start date

2009-11-30

Completion date

2014-02-28

Last updated

2013-04-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

Diet, elderly, cognition, prevention, cognitive decline, Lifestyle

Brief summary

The researchers will investigate whether caloric restriction or dietary supplementation could provide positive effects on general brain functions in healthy elderly people.

Detailed description

The age-related degradation of cognitive functions even to the point of neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease are a growing public-health concern with devastating effects. Referring to animal data, empirical studies, and pilot human trials, a healthy diet rich in unsaturated fatty acids and low in calories should improve cognitive functions such as learning and memory. To test this hypothesis, the researchers study general brain functions in healthy elderly subjects (50-80 years old) during a short term diet.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALCaloric restriction

20-30% CR for 6 months

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTOmega-3 (fish oil capsules)

2g/day DHA/EPA capsules for 6 months

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTPlacebo

Daily corn oil capsules for 6 months

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTResveratrol

daily resveratrol for 6 months

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE (Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

50 Years to 80 Years

Healthy volunteers

Yes

Inclusion criteria

* healthy subjects * 50-80 years old * moderate to heavy weight (BMI 25-30) * must be able to change diet/take supplements at home

Exclusion criteria

* diabetes * younger than 50 years * BMI \< 25 * psychiatric medication * severe disease * MMSE \< 26 * eating disorders

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Auditory verbal Learning Task	Baseline (timepoint 0), after 6 months (timepoint 6 months)

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Functional/Structural brain changes	Baseline (timepoint 0), after 6 months (timepoint 6 months)
Plasma biomarkers	Baseline (timepoint 0), after 6 months (timepoint 6 months)f intervention

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Primary ContactVeronica Witte, Dr

veronica.witte@charite.de

Backup ContactAgnes Flöel, Professor

agnes.floeel@charite.de

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026