Acute effects of different multivitamin mineral preparations with and without Guaraná on mood, cognitive performance and functional brain activation.
Previous work has identified the positive effects of the acute administration of a multivitamin-guaraná preparation during an effortful executive/working memory task. Here, we aimed to differentiate the effects of multivitamins with and without guaraná and to examine the neural substrates of such effects using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Following a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised, balanced crossover design, 20 participants (mean age 29 ± 5.54 years) consumed multivitamin preparations with or without guaraná (Berocca® Performance and Boost, respectively) and a placebo. Thirty minutes post-treatment, they underwent neurocognitive assessment, consisting of a 10 min Cognitive Demand Battery, with mood ratings taken immediately before and after the battery. Five additional participants underwent post-treatment fMRI scanning during Rapid Visual Information Processing and Inspection Time activation tasks. The multivitamin with guaraná treatment was associated with significantly enhanced Serial Threes performance and self-rated contentment. fMRI revealed that both multivitamin treatments increased activation in areas associated with working memory and attentional processing, with the effect being greater in the multivitamin with guaraná condition. These data confirm the acute benefits of multivitamins with guaraná on mood and cognitive performance. Furthermore, they demonstrate for the first time increased brain activation from multivitamin preparations both with and without guaraná, as measured using fMRI.
Centre for Human Psychopharmacology, Swinburne University, Melbourne VIC 3122, Australia. andrew@scholeylab.com.
Andrew
A
Scholey
Isabelle
I
Bauer
Chris
C
Neale
Karen
K
Savage
David
D
Camfield
David
D
White
Silvia
S
Maggini
Andrew
A
Pipingas
Con
C
Stough
Matthew
M
Hughes
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D032126:Paullinia / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D057566:Self Report; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D055815:Young Adult
D018977:Micronutrients; D010936:Plant Extracts