Pycnogenol® Boosts Memory in Elderly

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.—A recent study examined the effect of Pycnogenol® (PYC), an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, on a range of cognitive and biochemical measures and the ‘oxidative stress’ hypothesis of aging and neurological degeneration as it relates to normal changes in cognition in elderly individuals. A double blind, placebo-controlled, matched pairs designed with 101 elderly participants taking a daily dose of 150 mg PYC for a three-month treatment period. Statistically significant interactions were found for memory-based cognitive variables and lipid peroxidation products, with participants in the PYC group showing improved performance on working memory measures and decreased concentrations of f2-isoprostanes (peroxidation biomarker) relative to participants on the placebo. This study will be published in a future issue of the Journal of Psychopharmacology.