by Eunice Mah, PhD
Where did I leave my keys?
I’m sorry, what’s your name again?
I can’t remember if I should turn left or right.
What did I come in here for?
Sound familiar? We’ve all misplaced keys, forgot someone’s name, have difficulties recalling directions, or entered the kitchen and blanked on why you went there in the first place. Memory lapses are frustrating, but they happen and are not usually concerning. As we age, memory lapses happen more often and it is part of healthy aging. However, when memory loss becomes persistent and affects your ability to function, it becomes worrisome. According to a recent market analysis, the global brain health supplements market size is expected to reach USD 13.38 billion by 2028. Of the different types of brain-boosting supplements, those for memory enhancement dominated the market in 2020, with more than 25.0% revenue share, likely driven by the growing aging population.
Recently, we conducted and published an investigation into the effects of citicoline (Cognizin®), a naturally occurring mononucleotide, on memory in 100 healthy elderly adults with age-associated memory impairment. After daily consumption of 500 mg of a commercially available citicoline supplement for 12 weeks, we observed that citicoline supplementation improved composite memory, specifically episodic memory, when compared to the group taking placebo. Episodic memory describes the ability to remember and recall specific events, paired with the content in which they occurred, such as identifying when and where an object was encountered. A decline in episodic memory often manifests as the inability to recall past events or retrieve lessons from past experiences which can lead to repeat error and has been shown to decline with aging. Our results are consistent with other clinical trials that have shown improvements in memory following citicoline supplementation in older men and women, without eliciting any serious adverse events. Our findings suggest that regular consumption of Cognizin® may be safe and potentially beneficial against memory loss due to aging.
Check out our paper to learn more about the study here.
Tags: Clinical Research, cognition, memory