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| Name | Class |
|---|---|
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | OTHER |
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The study evaluates the impact of one acute dose of cocoa flavanols on brain oxygenation during a hypercapnia challenge, as well as impact on cognitive performance in young healthy males. It further assesses the impact of flavanols on peripheral vascular function, as measured by brachial Flow-mediated dilation (FMD). All participants received a high-flavanol cocoa intervention (185.5 mg of flavanols (-)-epicatechin and (+)- catechin) and a low-flavanol cocoa intervention (< 4 mg of flavanols). It is hypothesized that the high-flavanol intervention increases cerebral oxygenation during hypercapnia and vascular function in comparison to the low-flavanol intervention.
Cocoa flavanols have been shown to be protective against vascular disease in humans, as evidenced by improvements in peripheral endothelial function (as measured by brachial Flow-mediated dilatation, FMD). There is also emerging evidence suggesting that flavanol-rich diets protect against cognitive aging, but mechanisms remain elusive. In this study the investigators suggest that such mechanisms might be associated with benefits within the brain vasculature. The aim of the present study was therefore to determine whether intake of flavanols enhances cerebral oxygenation in frontal cortical areas of the brain during a hypercapnia challenge (which is a well-established biomarker of vascular reactivity in the brain) to a greater extent than a low-flavanol intervention in young healthy adults.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-flavanol Cocoa powder | Experimental | Dietary supplement: single serving of a high-flavanol cocoa powder containing 150 mg of (-)-epicatechin and 35.5 mg of (+)-catechin |
|
| Low-flavanol Cocoa powder | Active Comparator | Dietary supplement: single serving of a low-flavanol cocoa powder intervention containing < 4 mg of (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin and matched as best as possible for macronutrients and micronutrients, such as caffeine and theobromine. |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-flavanol cocoa powder | Dietary Supplement | Non-alkalized fat-reduced cocoa powder (Natural Acticoa) |
|
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Cortical Blood Oxygenation reactivity to hypercapnia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) | Cerebral oxygenated haemoglobin maximum levels in the frontal cortical regions of the brain during the 5% carbon-dioxide breathing challenge (average across minutes 3 and 4 of breathing challenge) | Change from baseline to 2 hours |
| Time to reach 90% of maximum cortical blood oxygenation during hypercapnia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) | Time to reach 90% of maximum oxygenated haemoglobin in the frontal cortical regions of the brain during the 5% carbon-dioxide breathing challenge | Change from baseline to 2 hours |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Cortical Blood Deoxygenation reactivity to hypercapnia using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) | Cerebral deoxygenated haemoglobin minimal levels in the frontal cortical regions of the brain during the 5% carbon-dioxide breathing challenge (average across minutes 3 and 4 of breathing challenge) | Change from baseline to 2 hours |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Catarina Rendeiro, PhD | University of Birmingham | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham | Birmingham | B15 2TT | United Kingdom |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D006935 | Hypercapnia |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D012818 | Signs and Symptoms, Respiratory |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
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| Low-flavanol cocoa powder | Dietary Supplement | Alkalized fat-reduced cocoa powder (10/12 DDP Royal Dutch) |
|
| Inverse Efficiency scores in a Modified version of the Stroop Task |
The modified Stroop included task blocks (designated as Colour match; Word match; Stroop and Double Stroop) of increasing difficulty so that performance could be compared between simple and more demanding tasks. Reaction time and accuracy of choice were recorded to estimate inverse efficiency scores (in seconds). Higher 'inverse efficiency scores' reflect worse performance on the task, whilst lower scores reflects better performance. |
| 2 hours post intervention |
| Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery using ultrasound (expressed as % FMD: change in brachial diameter from baseline to peak dilation following 5 minutes of arterial occlusion).. | FMD of the brachial artery | Change from baseline to 2 hours |