Nutritional supplements and cognition in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Abstract
Background: Nutritional supplementation is increasingly regarded as a potential strategy to preserve or enhance cognitive function in individuals with healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, its overall efficacy remains uncertain due to inconsistent findings across clinical trials.
Methods: In accordance with the guidelines outlined by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Network Meta-Analyses, we conducted a comprehensive systematic search. Our inclusion criteria focused on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the impact of nutrient supplementation on cognitive function within healthy aging and MCI patients. The primary outcome of interest was the change in cognitive function, while the secondary outcome involved alterations in blood biochemical markers (e.g., homocysteine, vitamin B12, and serum folate levels).
Results: The meta-analysis results indicated that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)+eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)+vitamin E+tryptophan+melatonin, as well as melatonin alone, significantly enhanced global cognitive function. Additionally, DHA, folic acid+DHA, and the DHA+EPA+vitamin E+tryptophan+melatonin were all effective in augmenting memory. DHA alone was found to be beneficial in improving processing speed, whereas vitamin D3 was associated with improvements in visuospatial function. Notably, sensitivity analyses revealed that while most domain-specific effects remained stable, the rankings of certain…
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