NCT01842022

The Effect of the Glycemic Load of Meals on the Cognition and Mood of Older Adults

The Effect of the Glycemic Load of Meals on the Cognition and Mood of Older Adults With Differences in Glucose Tolerance

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 155 (actual)
• Sponsor: Swansea University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 45 Years – 80 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

A lower rather than a higher glycemic load (GL) meal has been shown to benefit cognition and mood, however, the data in older adults and those most prone to cognitive dysfunction, is limited and conflicting. One explanation is that the GL of a meal may interact with a person's pre-existing glucose tolerance (GT). As older adults have a higher incidence of glucose tolerance and are more likely to experience memory problems the present study considers the interaction between the GL of meal in those with better or poorer GT. The population studied will not have a history of diabetes or dementia. A battery of cognitive tests will be administered after meals sweetened with one of three sugars known to vary in the rate that they release glucose into the blood stream.

Detailed description

On day one subjects will take an oral glucose tolerance test and will then be divided into four groups depending on their glucose tolerance (how long values remain raised) and the tendency for values to subsequently fall to low values. On a second occasion 155 healthy older adults, aged 45-80 years, will be randomly assigned to receive either a glucose, sucrose or isomaltulose based meal. All meals are matched on macronutrient composition and differ only in glycemic load. Cognitive performance and mood will be assessed 30, 105 and 180 minutes after breakfast. Measures of memory, attention, reaction times and mood will be taken. The response to the three meals will be contrasted in those with different glucose profiles on day one

Conditions

• Dementia

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Isomaltulose	Isomaltulose sweetened meal will be given to each of four groups who differ in their glucose tolerance
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Sucrose	Sucrose sweetened meal will be given to each of four groups who differ in their glucose tolerance
DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT	Glucose	Glucose sweetened meal will be given to each of four groups who differ in their glucose tolerance

Timeline

• Start date: 2011-09-01
• Primary completion: 2013-05-01
• Completion: 2013-09-01
• First posted: 2013-04-29
• Last updated: 2014-12-11

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United Kingdom