Citicoline improves motor speed and attention in adolescents: Study
The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical trial was conducted by the Brain Institute at the University of Utah. The study found adolescent males experienced increased motor speed and attention after supplementation with Kyowa Hakko's 'Cognizin' brand of citicoline. Kyowa Hakko funded the study.
A group of 75 healthy adolescent males were divided into treatment and placebo groups and tested over a 28-day period.
Individuals were randomly assigned a 250 mg or 500 mg Cognizin treatment group or a placebo group. The researchers conducted the 'Finger Tap test' during which their motor function was tested. All participants were asked to press a lever attached to a mechanical counter as many times as possible during discrete time periods.
Additionally, the 'Ruff 2&7 Selective Attention Test' was conducted in which participants had to cross out 2’s and 7’s embedded in blocks of numbers or letters.
Those who were given the citicoline scored higher in both tests. Moreover, the adolescent males who received 28 days of citicoline supplementation reported no increase in side effects compared to the placebo group.
First study on healthy individuals
“The study finally sheds a light on the cognitive-enhancing effects of citicoline in healthy adolescent individuals which is something we at The Brain Institute have never done before," said lead researcher Dr Deborah Yurgelun-Todd.
Traditionally the research around citicoline involved adults with neurological deficits.
Citicoline is the generic name for CDP-choline (choline cytidine 5’-pyrophosphate), a precursor to the likes of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidyl-ethanolamine which all have been linked to brain health. It was recently approved by the EU for use in food supplements and medical foods.
Source:
Presented at the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology conference in Hollywood, FL
16-19 June 2014
'The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males'
Authors: Yurgelun-Todd, D. et al
