WASHINGTON, DC—A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found that a commercially available dietary supplement may improve recent verbal memory.
The supplement, Alpha BRAIN, includes Huperzia serrata, an herb that contains huperzine A, AC-11, an extract of the herb Uncaria tomentosa, and other ingredients, according to the maker of the supplement, Onnit Labs in Austin.
“We felt this was an interesting study, both because it would allow us to examine if Alpha BRAIN was indeed efficacious as a cognitive enhancer, and also due to the complete dearth of rigorous scientific and methodologically sound studies that have been performed on similar supplements to date,” said Todd Solomon, PhD, of the Boston Center for Memory and a clinical neuropsychology fellow at Boston University School of Medicine.
Todd Solomon, PhD
At the 2015 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Dr. Solomon presented a study of 63 participants ages 18 to 35. After a two-week placebo run-in, researchers randomized 30 participants to Alpha BRAIN and 33 participants to placebo. A battery of neuropsychologic tests (ie, Wechsler Memory Scale–Fourth Edition, Delis–Kaplan Executive Function System, California Verbal Learning Test–Second Edition, Trail Making Test parts A and B, and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test) was run before and at the end of the six-week study. The two groups had similar baseline demographics, including age, estimated IQ, gender, education, and race. The majority of participants were college students.
At baseline, both groups were similar in all the cognitive measures. At trial’s end, both groups showed neuropsychologic improvements. Those randomized to receive Alpha BRAIN performed significantly better on tasks of delayed verbal recall and executive functioning, compared with those who received placebo. Analysis of variance indicated that those who received Alpha BRAIN had significantly improved delayed verbal recall.
The results are “encouraging,” Dr. Solomon said. Still, the small number of subjects and the brevity of the trial rule out solid conclusions.
“As supplements in the United States are not regulated ... we felt it was important to support a company that was willing to hold themselves to the same type of standards promoted by the FDA for testing the efficacy of experimental compounds,” Dr. Solomon said.
—Brian Hoyle