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Spermidine intake is associated with cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in older adults
Schwarz C, Horn N, Benson G, Wrachtrup Calzado I, Wurdack K, Pechlaner R, Grittner U, Wirth M et al.. NeuroImage, 2020-07-03
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
Previous research has demonstrated beneficial impact of spermidine intake on memory functions in both animal models and humans, suggesting that spermidine may be a preventive approach to delay age-related cognitive decline and possibly even Alzheimer's disease (AD). Results Higher spermidine intake was associated with larger hippocampal volume (standardized β = 0.262, p = 0.002), greater mean cortical thickness (standardized β = 0.187, p = 0.031), and greater cortical thickness in AD-vulnerable brain regions (standardized β = 0.176, p = 0.042), the parietal (standardized β = 0.202, p = 0.020), and temporal lobes (standardized β = 0.217, p = 0.012). No significant differential effect emerged between older adults with SCD and HC. Conclusion Higher dietary spermidine intake was positively associated with several structural brain measures, irrespective of the presence of SCD, and substantially mediated the relationship of adherence to MeDi and structural brain measures. Our data suggest that higher spermidine intake might be a promising dietary approach to preserve brain health in older adults, a hypothesis currently tested in an interventional trial.
Key findings
- Previous research has demonstrated beneficial impact of spermidine intake on memory functions in both animal models and humans, suggesting that spermidine may be a preventive approach to delay age-related cognitive decline and possibly even Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- Results Higher spermidine intake was associated with larger hippocampal volume (standardized β = 0.262, p = 0.002), greater mean cortical thickness (standardized β = 0.187, p = 0.031), and greater cortical thickness in AD-vulnerable brain regions (standardized β = 0.176, p = 0.042), the parietal (standardized β = 0.202, p = 0.020), and temporal lobes (standardized β = 0.217, p = 0.012).
- No significant differential effect emerged between older adults with SCD and HC.
- Conclusion Higher dietary spermidine intake was positively associated with several structural brain measures, irrespective of the presence of SCD, and substantially mediated the relationship of adherence to MeDi and structural brain measures.
- Our data suggest that higher spermidine intake might be a promising dietary approach to preserve brain health in older adults, a hypothesis currently tested in an interventional trial.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 38/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 22 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 38 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (NeuroImage) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 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 | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32629145) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 22 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 22 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 38 out of 100. |
| Total | 38 / 100 | — |
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APA 7th
Schwarz, C., Horn, N., Benson, G., Wrachtrup Calzado, I., Wurdack, K., Pechlaner, R., et al. (2020). Spermidine intake is associated with cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in older adults. NeuroImage. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117132
Vancouver
Schwarz C, Horn N, Benson G, Wrachtrup Calzado I, Wurdack K, Pechlaner R, et al. Spermidine intake is associated with cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in older adults. NeuroImage. 2020. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117132. PMID: 32629145.
BibTeX
@article{schwarz2020-32629145,
author = {Schwarz, C. and Horn, N. and Benson, G. and Wrachtrup Calzado, I. and Wurdack, K. and Pechlaner, R. and Grittner, U. and Wirth, M. and others},
title = {{Spermidine intake is associated with cortical thickness and hippocampal volume in older adults}},
journal = {NeuroImage},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117132},
pmid = {32629145},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117132}
}
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