214Effect of B-vitamin Supplementation on Cognitive Performance and Brain Function in The BrainHOP Trial

Abstract

Background: Globally populations are ageing and neuropsychiatric disorders are reported as a leading cause of poor health in older people(1. Folate and the metabolically related B-vitamins may have roles in delaying cognitive dysfunction in ageing, but the evidence is inconsistent(2. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with relevant B-vitamins, on cognitive health and brain function in older adults. Methods: The B-vitamins and Brain Health in Older People (BrainHOP) randomised controlled trial was conducted in adults aged 70 years and older. Participants were randomised to receive a supplement containing folic acid (400 μg), Vitamin B12 (10 μg), Vitamin B6 (10 mg) and riboflavin (10 mg) or placebo daily. Cognitive function was assessed before and after the 2-year intervention using the Repeatable Battery of the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and brain function was assessed at the end of intervention using Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in a subset of participants (n = 25). Results: Of the 328 participants initially recruited, 249 (74%) participants completed the trial. Results showed that B-vitamin intervention had no significant effect on global cognitive function. However, when specific domains within global cognition were examined separately, B-vitamin intervention was found to protect against visuospatial cognitive decline (P = 0.001). Preliminary results from the MEG analysis suggested improved neuronal functioning as a result of intervention with B-vitamins, as shown by lower power in the Delta [1-4 Hz] (P = 0.021) and Theta [4-8 Hz] (P = 0.011) bands compared to the placebo group, following interruption within the working memory task. Conclusion: The results suggest that optimising B-vitamin status in older people may be beneficial for brain health and identify the potential use of MEG as a novel technology in nutrition and ageing research.