Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Mitochondrial cofactors improve thinking in older dogs
By Snigdha, Shikha et al.·Published in Neurobiology of aging·2016·Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effect of mitochondrial cofactors and antioxidants supplementation on cognition in the aged canine.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of older dogs was given a special diet supplement containing mitochondrial cofactors to see if it could help improve their memory and cognitive function. The results showed that these supplements helped with long-term recall, while another ingredient, lipoic acid, might actually impair cognitive function. This suggests that a combination of good nutrition, social interaction, and physical activity is important for keeping dogs' brains healthy as they age. Owners looking to support their aging dogs' cognitive health should consider a well-rounded approach that includes diet and lifestyle.
People also search for: dog memory problems · supplements for aging dogs · how to help my dog with cognitive decline
Abstract
A growing body of research has focused on modifiable risk factors for prevention and attenuation of cognitive decline in aging. This has led to an unprecedented interest in the relationship between diet and cognitive function. Several preclinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that dietary intervention can be used to improve cognitive function but randomized controlled trials are increasingly failing to replicate these findings. Here, we use a canine model of aging to evaluate the effects of specific components of diet supplementation which contain both antioxidants and a combination of mitochondrial cofactors (lipoic acid [LA] and acetyl-l-carnitine) on a battery of cognitive functions. Our data suggest that supplementation with mitochondrial cofactors, but not LA or antioxidant alone, selectively improve long-term recall in aged canines. Furthermore, we found evidence that LA alone could have cognitive impairing effects. These results contrast to those of a previous longitudinal study in aged canine. Our data demonstrate that one reason for this difference may be the nutritional status of animals at baseline for the 2 studies. Overall, this study suggests that social, cognitive, and physical activity together with optimal dietary intake (rather than diet alone) promotes successful brain aging.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26481404/