ABSTRACT
Context: Worldwide, large numbers of people have Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, Parkinson's disease, and multiple sclerosis. Unfortunately, approved medications are highly ineffective and have costly, untoward side effects. One alternative for neurodegenerative disorders may be use of plasmalogens, a type of phospholipid. Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of a unique extract of plasmalogen from scallops for older adults with concerns either about memory and cognition or some form of actual memory loss or cognitive dysfunction. Design: This pilot study was a 90-day intervention. Setting: The study took place in the homes of participants. Participants: Participants were nine older adults from South Florida. Intervention: Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups taking different amounts of Hokkaido Scallop Oil Plasmalogen (HSOP) per day: (1) one 0.5-mg capsule-five participants or (2) two 0.5-mg capsules-four participants. Outcome Measures: The participants completed the assessments at baseline and postintervention. To determine if HSOP would have an effect on cognitive function, participants completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). To evaluate issues with activities and depressive symptoms or disorders, participants completed assessments with the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Independent Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and the Center for Epidemiological Survey-Depression (CESD). The outcome measures were compared from baseline to postintervention, and the differences were assessed for statistical significance with paired-samples t tests. Correlation coefficients were assessed at baseline and postintervention between age and the outcome measures as well. Results: The average score of the MMSE at baseline was 19.1 (SD = 9.7), the average score at postintervention improved to 21.9 (SD = 10.2), and the difference from baseline to postintervention was statistically significant (t(6) = -2.7, P = .04). All other changes on the outcome measures were insignificant. For the MMSE, five subjects improved, one subject remained the same, and one subject worsened. For the CESD, one subject worsened, and five subjects improved. For the IADL and ADL, five subjects remained the same, and one subject improved. At baseline and as expected, age was inversely correlated with the MMSE (r = -0.88, P = .002), and the MMSE was inversely correlated with the ADL (r = -0.93, P = .002). No other correlations were significant. The correlations at postintervention showed a similar pattern to those at baseline. Conclusions: The pilot study showed that HSOP is safe to take and may provide some benefits for cognitive function and depressive symptoms, based on the clinically relevant changes in the MMSE and CESD over the 90-day period. Given the lack of efficacy of treatments for people with age-associated memory and cognitive dysfunction, HSOP may provide a natural and safe alternative for those faced with such challenges.
