β-Alanine supplementation improves fractional anisotropy scores in the hippocampus and amygdala in 60-80-year-old men and women.
- 2024-09
- Experimental gerontology 194
- Ishay Ostfeld
- Amit Zamir
- Tavor Ben-Zeev
- Chagai Levi
- Yftach Gepner
- David Peled
- Daniel Barazany
- Shmuel Springer
- Jay R Hoffman
- PubMed: 38971131
- DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112513
Study Design
- Type
- Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)
- Population
- older adults with decreased cognitive function
- Methods
- randomized into BA (2.4 g·d<sup>-1</sup>) or placebo (PL) groups; resting blood sample, MoCA test, MRI with diffusion tensor imaging; Mann-Whitney U test for Δ (POST-PRE) differences
- Blinding
- Double-blind
- Duration
- 10 weeks
- Funding
- Unclear
Recently, β-alanine (BA) supplementation was shown to improve cognitive function in older adults with decreased cognitive function. Mechanisms supporting these improvements have not been well defined. This study examined the effects of 10-weeks of BA supplementation on changes in circulating brain inflammatory markers, brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and brain morphology. Twenty participants were initially randomized into BA (2.4 g·d-1) or placebo (PL) groups. At each testing session, participants provided a resting blood sample and completed the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) test and magnetic resonance imaging, which included diffusion tensor imaging to assess brain tissue integrity. Only participants that scored at or below normal for the MoCA assessment were analyzed (6 BA and 4 PL). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to examine Δ (POST-PRE) differences between the groups. No differences in Δ scores were noted in any blood marker (BDNF, CRP, TNF-α and GFAP). Changes in fractional anisotropy scores were significantly greater for BA than PL in the right hippocampus (p = 0.033) and the left amygdala (p = 0.05). No other differences were noted. The results provide a potential mechanism of how BA supplementation may improve cognitive function as reflected by improved tissue integrity within the hippocampus and amygdala.
Research Insights
and the left amygdala (p = 0.05)
- Effect
- Beneficial
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1
Changes in fractional anisotropy scores were significantly greater for BA than PL in the right hippocampus (p = 0.033)
- Effect
- Beneficial
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1
No differences in Δ scores were noted in any blood marker (BDNF, CRP, TNF-α and GFAP).
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1
No differences in Δ scores were noted in any blood marker (BDNF, CRP, TNF-α and GFAP).
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1
No differences in Δ scores were noted in any blood marker (BDNF, CRP, TNF-α and GFAP).
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1
No differences in Δ scores were noted in any blood marker (BDNF, CRP, TNF-α and GFAP).
- Effect
- Neutral
- Effect size
- Small
- Dose
- 2.4 g·d^-1