Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T17:23:23.824Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effects of zinc supplementation on cognitive function in healthy middle-aged and older adults: the ZENITH study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Elizabeth A. Maylor*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK
Ellen E. A. Simpson
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
David L. Secker
Affiliation:
Cambridge Cognition Limited, Tunbridge Court, Tunbridge Lane, Bottisham, Cambridge CB5 9DU, UK
Nathalie Meunier
Affiliation:
National Institute for Agronomic Research, Clermont-Ferrand, France
Maud Andriollo-Sanchez
Affiliation:
Laboratoire de Nutrition, Vieillissement et Maladies Cardiovasculaires, Faculté de Pharmacie, Domaine de la Merci, 38706 La Tronche Cedex, France
Angela Polito
Affiliation:
National Institute for Food and Nutrition Research, Rome, Italy
Barbara Stewart-Knox
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
Chris McConville
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
Jacqueline M. O'Connor
Affiliation:
School of Psychology and Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health (NICHE), University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, UK
Charles Coudray
Affiliation:
National Institute for Agronomic Research, Clermont-Ferrand, France
*
*Corresponding author: Professor Elizabeth A. Maylor, fax +44 24 765 24225, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A randomised double-blind placebo-controlled design was employed to investigate the effects of Zn supplementation on cognitive function in 387 healthy adults aged 55–87 years. Several measures of visual memory, working memory, attention and reaction time were obtained using the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Battery at baseline and then after 3 and 6 months of 0 (placebo), 15 or 30 mg Zn/d. Younger adults (<70 years) performed significantly better on all tests than older adults (>70 years), and performance improved with practice on some measures. For two out of eight dependent variables, there were significant interactions indicating a beneficial effect (at 3 months only) of both 15 and 30 mg/d on one measure of spatial working memory and a detrimental effect of 15 mg/d on one measure of attention. Further work is required to establish whether these findings generalise to older adults in poorer mental and physical health and with less adequate Zn intake and status than the present sample.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2006

References

Age-Related Eye, Disease Study & Research Group (2001) A randomized, placebo-controlled, clinical trial of high-dose supplementation with vitamins C and E, beta carotene, and zinc for age-related macular degeneration and vision loss: AREDS report no. 8. Arch Opthalmol 119, 14171436.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Age-Related Eye, Disease Study & Research Group (2002) The effect of five-year zinc supplementation on serum zinc, serum cholesterol and hematocrit in persons randomly assigned to treatment group in the age-related eye disease study: AREDS report no. 7. J Nutr 132, 697702.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andriollo-Sanchez, M, Hininger-Favier, I & Meunier, N (2005) Zinc intake and status in middle-aged and older European subjects: the ZENITH study. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, S37S41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arnaud, J, Bellanger, J, Bienvenu, F, Chappuis, P & Favier, A (1986) Recommended method for assaying serum zinc with flame atomic absorption. Ann Biol Clin (Paris) 44, 7787.Google ScholarPubMed
Bhatnagar, S & Taneja, S (2001) Zinc and cognitive development. Br J Nutr 85, Suppl., S139S145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Black, MM (1998) Zinc deficiency and child development. Am J Clin Nutr 68, 464S469S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blumberg, J (1997) Nutritional needs of seniors. J Am Coll Nutr 16, 517523.Google ScholarPubMed
Briefel, RR, Bialostosky, K, Kennedy-Stephenson, J, McDowell, MA, Ervin, RB & Wright, JD (2000) Zinc intake of the U.S. population: findings from the third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988–1994. J Nutr 130 1367S – 1373SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Calvaresi, E & Bryan, J (2001) B vitamins, cognition, and aging: a review. J Gerontol 56, P327P339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Canter, PH & Ernst, E (2004) Herbal supplement use by persons aged over 50 years in Britain: frequently used herbs, concomitant use of herbs, nutritional supplements and prescription drugs, rate of informing doctors and potential for negative interactions. Drugs Aging 21, 597605.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
De Luca, CR, Wood, J, Anderson, V, Buchanan, J-A, Proffitt, TM, Mahony, K & Pantelis, C (2003) Normative data from the Cantab. I: development of executive function over the lifespan. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 25, 242254.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Elliott, R & Sahakian, BJ (1995) The neuropsychology of schizophrenia: relations with clinical and neurobiological dimensions. Psychol Med 25, 581594.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fernstrom, JD (2000) Can nutrient supplements modify brain function?. Am J Clin Nutr 71 1669S – 1673SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folstein, MF, Folstein, SF & McHugh, PR (1975) “Mini-Mental State”: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res 12, 189198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Food and Nutrition BoardFood and Nutrition Board (2000) Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc Washington, DC National Academy PressGoogle Scholar
Food and Nutrition BoardFood and Nutrition Board (1989) Recommended Dietary Allowances 10th ed Washington, DC National Academy PressGoogle Scholar
Fray, PJ & Robbins, TW (1996) CANTAB battery: proposed utility in neurotoxicology. Neurotoxicol Teratol 18, 499504.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fray, PJ, Robbins, TW & Sahakian, BJ (1996) Neuropsychiatyric applications of CANTAB. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 11, 329336.3.0.CO;2-6>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hambidge, M (2000) Human zinc deficiency. J Nutr 130, 1344S1349S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joyal, CC, Lalonde, R, Vikis-Freibergs, V & Botez, MI (1993) Are age-related behavioral disorders improved by folate administration?. Exp Aging Res 19, 367376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiely, M, Flynn, A, Harrington, KE, Robson, PJ, O'Connor, N, Hannon, EM, O'Brien, MM, Bell, S & Strain, JJ (2001) The efficacy and safety of nutritional supplement use in a representative sample of adults in the North/South Ireland Food Consumption Survey. Public Health Nutr 4, 10891097.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Louis, WJ, Mander, AG, Dawson, M, O'Callaghan, C & Conway, EL (1999) Use of computerized neuropsychological tests (CANTAB) to assess cognitive effects of antihypertensive drugs in the elderly. J Hypertens 17, 18131819.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lowe, C & Rabbitt, P (1998) Test/re-test reliability of the CANTAB and ISPOCD neuropsychological batteries: theoretical and practical issues. Neuropsychologia 36, 915923.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luciana, M & Nelson, CA (2002) Assessment of neuropsychological function through use of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Testing Automated Battery (CANTAB): performance in 4- to 12-year-old children. Dev Neuropsychol 22, 595624.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ma, J & Betts, NM (2000) Zinc and copper intakes and their major food sources for older adults in the 1994–96 continuing survey of food intakes by individuals (CSFII). J Nutr 130, 28382843.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McClain, CJ, McClain, M, Barve, S & Boosalis, MG (2002) Trace metals and the elderly. Clin Geriatr Med 18, 801818.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McDaniel, MA, Maier, SF & Einstein, GO (2002) “Brain-specific” nutrients: a memory cure?. Psychol Sci Public Interest 3, 1238.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Masaki, KH, Losonczy, KG, Izmirlian, G, Foley, DJ, Ross, GW, Petrovitch, H, Havlik, R & White, LR (2000) Association of vitamin E and C supplement use with cognitive function and dementia in elderly men. Neurology 54, 12651272.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milner, B (1971) Interhemispheric differences in the localization of psychological processes in man. Br Med Bull 27, 272277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mocchegiani, E, Bertoni-Freddari, C, Marcellini, F & Malavolta, M (2005) Brain, aging and neurodegeneration: role of zinc ion availability. Prog Neurobiol 75, 367390.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, RG, Evenden, JL, Sahakian, BJ & Robbins, TW (1986) Computer-aided assessment of dementia: comparative studies of neuropsychological deficits in Alzheimer-type dementia and Parkinson's disease. In Cognitive Neurochemistry, 2136 [Stahl, SM, Iverson, SD, Goodman, EC, editors]. OxfordOxford University Press.Google Scholar
Ortega, RM, Requejo, AM, Andrés, P, López-Sobaler, AM, Quintas, ME, Redondo, MR, Navia, B & Rivas, T (1997) Dietary intake and cognitive function in a group of elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr 66, 803809.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Owen, AM, Downes, JJ, Sahakian, BJ, Polkey, CE & Robbins, TW (1990) Planning and spatial working memory following frontal lobe lesions in man. Neuropsychologia 28, 10211034.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Owen, AM, Morris, RG, Sahakian, BJ, Polkey, CE & Robbins, TW (1996) Double dissociations of memory and executive functions in working memory tasks following frontal lobe excisions, temporal lobe excisions or amygdalo-hippocampectomy in man. Brain 119, 15971615.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Penland, JG (2000) Behavioral data and methodology issues in studies of zinc nutrition in humans. J Nutr 130 361S – 364SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pepersack, T, Rotsaert, P, Benoit, F, Willems, D, Fuss, M, Bourdoux, P & Duchateau, J (2001) Prevalence of zinc deficiency and its clinical relevance among hospitalised elderly. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 33, 243253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Polito, A, Meunier, N, Andriollo-Sanchez, M (2005) Screening and recruitment procedure of late-middle aged and older subjects: the ZENITH study. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, S8S12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prasad, AS, Fitzgerald, JT, Hess, JW, Kaplan, J, Pelen, F & Dardenne, M (1993) Zinc deficiency in elderly patients. Nutrition 9, 218224.Google ScholarPubMed
Rabbitt, P & Lowe, C (2000) Patterns of cognitive ageing. Psychol Res 63, 308316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robbins, TW, James, M, Owen, AM, Sahakian, BJ, Lawrence, AD, McInnes, L & Rabbitt, PMA (1998) A study of performance on tests from the CANTAB battery sensitive to frontal lobe dysfunction in a large sample of normal volunteers: implications for theories of executive function and cognitive aging. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 4, 474490.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robbins, TW, James, M, Owen, AM, Sahakian, BJ, McInnes, L & Rabbitt, P (1994) Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): a factor analytic study of a large sample of normal elderly volunteers. Dementia 5, 266281.Google ScholarPubMed
Robbins, TW, James, M, Owen, AM, Sahakian, BJ, McInnes, L & Rabbitt, P (1997) A neural systems approach to the cognitive psychology of ageing using the CANTAB battery. In Methodology of Frontal and Executive Function, pp. 215238 [Rabbitt, P, editors]. Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
Sahakian, BJ & Owen, AM (1992) Computerised assessment in neuropsychiatry using CANTAB. J Roy Soc Med 85, 399402.Google ScholarPubMed
Salgueiro, MJ, Zubillaga, MB, Lysionek, AE, Caro, RA, Weill, R & Boccio, JR (2002) The role of zinc in the growth and development of children. Nutrition 18, 510519.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salgueiro, MJ, Zubillaga, M, Lysionek, A, Sarabia, MI, Caro, R, De Paoli, T, Hager, A, Weill, R & Boccio, J (2000) Zinc as an essential micronutrient: a review. Nutr Res 20, 737755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sandstead, HH (2000) Causes of iron and zinc deficiencies and their effects on brain. J Nutr 130 347S – 349SCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sandstead, HH (2003) Zinc is essential for brain development and function. J Trace Elem Exp Med 16, 165173.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmuck, A, Roussel, AM, Arnaud, J, Ducros, V, Favier, A & Franco, A (1996) Analyzed dietary intakes, plasma concentrations of zinc, copper, and selenium, and related antioxidant enzyme activities in hospitalized elderly women. J Am Coll Nutr 15, 462468.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Semple, J & Link, CGG (1991) CANTAB Parallel Battery: a suitable tool for investigating drug effects on cognition. Soc Neurosci Abstr 273, 2Google Scholar
Takeda, A (2000) Movement of zinc and its functional significance in the brain. Brain Res Rev 34, 137148.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vitoux, D, Arnaud, J & Chappuis, P (1999) Are copper, zinc and selenium in erythrocytes valuable biological indexes of nutrition and pathology?. J Trace Elem Med Biol 13, 113128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yaffe, K, Clemons, TE, McBee, WL & Lindblad, AS (2004) Impact of antioxidants, zinc, and copper on cognition in the elderly: a randomized, controlled trial. Neurology 63, 17051707.Google ScholarPubMed
Yesavage, JA, Brink, TL, Rose, TL, Lum, O, Huang, V, Adey, M & Leirer, VO (1983) Development and validation of a geriatric depression screening scale: a preliminary report. J Psychiatr Res 17, 3749.CrossRefGoogle Scholar