Pecan Consumption and Cognitive Function

NCT05230212 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: PROJECT00004889
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 31
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Human cognitive function is affected by age-related changes, with some areas beginning to decline in mid-adulthood and worsening with age. However, there is evidence that dietary interventions or the incorporation of certain healthy foods or nutrients, into the diet can have protective effects against cognitive decline. These foods include nutrients such as polyunsaturated fats, vitamins E and C, and polyphenols. Pecans are a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants (including polyphenols), and vitamin E. Pecans contain more total phenols than any other tree nut suggesting that they may be an ideal bioactive food to enhance cognitive performance; however, the relationship between pecan consumption and cognitive functioning has never been assessed. The overall goal behind this research is to determine the relationship between antioxidant-rich pecans and cognitive functioning in a postprandial state.

Conditions

Healthy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Alphabetic Working Memory, Choice Reaction Time, Digit Vigilance, N-back test, Word Recognition, Rapid Visual Information Processing, Picture Recognition, Immediate Word Recall, and Delayed Word Recall

  Measured by Computerized Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS) computed scores of percent accuracy (total overall target stimuli/novel stimuli) Brain, Performance, and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in Serial Subtractions, Immediate Word Recall, and Delayed Word Recall.

  Measured by Computerized Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS) computed scores of the number of responses (total correct responses/error responses) Brain, Performance, and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in Alphabetic Working Memory, Choice Reaction Time, Digit Vigilance, N-back, Picture Recognition, Rapid Visual Information Processing, Word Recognition.

  Measured by Computerized Mental Performance Assessment System (COMPASS) computed scores of reaction time (msec) (overall, correct response, target stimuli, novel stimuli, number of false alarms, and number of missed sequences) Brain, Performance, and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Change in glucose and triglycerides

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in physiologic measures of appetite

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in lipid peroxidation

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in insulin

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in non-esterified free fatty acids (NEFA)

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

Other Outcomes (3)

• Change in subjective measures of motivation

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in subjective measures of alertness, stress, and tranquility

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

• Change in subjective degree of sleepiness

  Change from baseline to 4 hours postprandially

Study Arms (2)

Pecan Breakfast Shake

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will be given a breakfast shake consisting primarily of pecans, and 1% milk.

Other: Pecan Breakfast Shake

Cream Breakfast Shake

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will be given a breakfast shake consisting primarily of heavy whipping cream.

Other: Cream Breakfast Shake

Interventions

Pecan Breakfast Shake OTHER

The pecan breakfast shake contains 68 grams of blended raw pecans. Participants will consume this shake at either visit 1 or visit 2 depending on randomization procedures.

Pecan Breakfast Shake

Cream Breakfast Shake OTHER

The cream breakfast shake contains 138 grams of heavy whipping cream. Participants will consume this shake at either visit 1 or visit 2 depending on randomization procedures.

Cream Breakfast Shake

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• to 30-years-old
• Healthy individuals
• Men and Women
• Normal body mass index (BMI) (18.5-24.9kg/m2). If BMI is 25 or greater, subjects can still qualify if their body fat percentage falls within healthy ranges defined as Men: 5-20%, and Women: 15-30% \[22\]
• Individuals with normal or corrected to normal vision
• Low-risk alcohol use as assessed by the AUDIT questionnaire (need a score of 7 or lower)
• No or minimal depression symptoms as indicated by the Beck's Depression Inventory (need a score of 9 or lower)
• Cognitive competence for education level and age as measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination (need a score of 26 or higher)

You may not qualify if:

• All chronic diseases (including, but not limited to, renal or bowel diseases, cardiovascular disease, and any form of diabetes)
• Known neurological, cognitive, or psychiatric conditions (including, but not limited to, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and depression)
• Prescription medication use (with the exception of female contraception methods)
• Dietary supplement use (including, but not limited to, multivitamins and fish oil supplements)
• Alcohol intake \>3 drinks/d for males or \>2 drinks/d for females
• Diagnosis of ADHD or a learning difficulty (including, but not limited to, dyslexia)
• History of head injury (defined as loss of consciousness more than 10 minutes)
• History of inflammatory disorders (including, but not limited to, migraines, stroke, hypertension, hypercoagulation, vascular disease, thyroid conditions, blood disorders, coagulation disorders)
• Food allergies/sensitivities to foods provided in this protocol including tree nuts, gluten, and or lactose/dairy
• Regular consumption of nuts and/or nut butters defined as consumption of \>2 servings (60g) of tree nuts or nut butters (e.g., peanut butter, almond butter) per week
• High caffeine consumption, defined as \>400mg/d
• Individuals adhering to special diets (including, but not limited to, the ketogenic diet, intermittent fasting, Atkins diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet, or carbohydrate-restricted diets)
• Illicit drug use
• Smoking or use of tobacco products
• Color-blindness

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Georgia: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Georgia- Department of Foods and Nutrition

Athens, Georgia, 30605, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Guadagni AJ, Prater MC, Paton CM, Cooper JA. Cognitive function in response to a pecan-enriched meal: a randomized, double-blind, cross-over study in healthy adults. Nutr Neurosci. 2025 Sep;28(9):1075-1092. doi: 10.1080/1028415X.2025.2461018. Epub 2025 Feb 13.

  PMID: 39945748 DERIVED

• Prater MC, Guadagni AJ, Cooper JA. Postprandial appetite responses to a pecan enriched meal: A randomized crossover trial. Appetite. 2024 Oct 1;201:107598. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107598. Epub 2024 Jul 4.

  PMID: 38971424 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Jamie A Cooper, PhD

  University of Georgia

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: Involved researchers and participants are blinded to which breakfast shake they are administering and/or receiving.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: This trial will be a double-blinded, randomized, cross-over design. There will be 2 testing visits in which each participant will be randomized to receive either the control (cream) shake or the pecan shake at visit 1; they will receive the opposing shake at visit 2. There will be a 6-8 day washout period between visit 1 and visit 2.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 22, 2022
• First Posted: February 8, 2022
• Study Start: February 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: February 25, 2023
• Study Completion: February 25, 2023
• Last Updated: April 14, 2023

Record last verified: 2023-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)