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Souvenaid reduces behavioral deficits and improves social cognition skills in frontotemporal dementia: a proof-of-concept study
Pardini M, Serrati C, Guida S, Mattei C, Abate L, Massucco D, Sassos D, Amore M et al.. Neuro-degenerative diseases, 2015-01-15
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Souvenaid™ is a nutraceutical compound thought to positively enhance synaptic function. In line with this mechanism of action, Souvenaid™ has been shown to improve cognitive function in subjects with mild Alzheimer's disease in randomized clinical trials. To date, however, the potential of Souvenaid™ to improve cognitive functioning in subjects with other neurodegenerative conditions also characterized by synaptic loss has not been explored. Objective To evaluate the impact of Souvenaid™ on executive functions, social cognition and behavioral disturbances in subjects with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD). Methods Twenty-six subjects with bv-FTD were enrolled in the study and randomized to Souvenaid™ (125 ml/day) or placebo groups. After 12 weeks, subjects were switched between the two groups. All subjects, blinded to treatment, underwent clinical and cognitive evaluations at enrollment, after 12 weeks and after 24 weeks. Results Treatment with Souvenaid™ was associated with a significant reduction of behavioral symptoms and an increase in Theory of Mind skills compared to placebo, which both returned to baseline when Souvenaid™ was discontinued. Souvenaid™ did not have an effect on executive functions. Conclusions Our results provide evidence of the potential of Souvenaid™ therapy for the treatment of behavioral disturbances and social cognition skills in FTD.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Pardini, M., Serrati, C., Guida, S., Mattei, C., Abate, L., Massucco, D., et al. (2015). Souvenaid reduces behavioral deficits and improves social cognition skills in frontotemporal dementia: a proof-of-concept study. Neuro-degenerative diseases. https://doi.org/10.1159/000369811
Vancouver
Pardini M, Serrati C, Guida S, Mattei C, Abate L, Massucco D, et al. Souvenaid reduces behavioral deficits and improves social cognition skills in frontotemporal dementia: a proof-of-concept study. Neuro-degenerative diseases. 2015. doi:10.1159/000369811. PMID: 25592742.
BibTeX
@article{pardini2015-25592742,
author = {Pardini, M. and Serrati, C. and Guida, S. and Mattei, C. and Abate, L. and Massucco, D. and Sassos, D. and Amore, M. and others},
title = {{Souvenaid reduces behavioral deficits and improves social cognition skills in frontotemporal dementia: a proof-of-concept study}},
journal = {Neuro-degenerative diseases},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1159/000369811},
pmid = {25592742},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000369811}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Treatment with Souvenaid™ was associated with a significant reduction of behavioral symptoms and an increase in Theory of Mind skills compared to placebo, which both returned to baseline when Souvenaid™ was discontinued.
- Conclusions Our results provide evidence of the potential of Souvenaid™ therapy for the treatment of behavioral disturbances and social cognition skills in FTD.
Why it matters
In twenty-six people with the behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia, the nutritional drink Souvenaid was linked to fewer behavioural symptoms and better social understanding (Theory of Mind) than placebo over 12 weeks, effects that faded when it was stopped. It did not help planning and reasoning skills. This proof-of-concept study concerns frontotemporal dementia, not Alzheimer's, and the authors frame it as evidence of potential rather than an established treatment.
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 59/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for sample size and effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, so that was left out: it earned 57 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 59 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuro-degenerative diseases) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (pubmed indexes it as a clinical or observational study) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 4 / 7 | Cited 40 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 3.1 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 4.6× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 1 / 6 | Cited by 2 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 4 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti: h-index 24 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Genoa: institution h-index 727 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 4 institution(s) in 3 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25592742) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 57 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 57 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 59 out of 100. |
| Total | 59 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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