Blueberry powder and brain activity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment
What it found
In older adults with mild cognitive impairment, 16 weeks of daily blueberry powder increased brain activation during a working memory task, but did not clearly improve memory performance.
The study was in people.
What they found
Studies in people
Brain activation increased
After 16 weeks, the blueberry group showed increased brain activation in several left-side regions during the working memory task, compared with their baseline scans. The placebo group showed a small decrease in one region.
Working memory performance
There was no clear improvement in working memory task accuracy or response time with blueberry supplementation. The authors noted a trend toward better accuracy in one condition, but it was not statistically significant.
Background diet
Diet records showed no difference between groups in anthocyanin consumption from other foods during the study, suggesting both groups followed the instruction to avoid berry products.
What the authors conclude
“These data demonstrate, for the first time, enhanced neural response during WM challenge in blueberry-treated older adults with cognitive decline and are consistent with prior trials showing neurocognitive benefit with blueberry supplementation in this at-risk population.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that these data demonstrate, for the first time, enhanced neural response during working memory challenge in blueberry-treated older adults with cognitive decline.
- They state that the findings are consistent with prior trials showing neurocognitive benefit with blueberry supplementation in this at-risk population.
- They suggest that nutritional approaches such as blueberry supplementation may induce beneficial effects for brain function and cognitive behavior, and can be instituted readily with little or no risk.
How it was done
The authors wanted to test whether daily blueberry supplementation could improve brain function in older adults at risk for dementia, since animal studies and some human trials suggested benefits.
They randomly assigned 16 older adults with mild cognitive impairment to take either freeze-dried blueberry powder or a placebo powder daily for 16 weeks. Before and after, participants had brain scans while doing a working memory task.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was small, with only 16 people completing it, so the results may not apply to all older adults with mild cognitive impairment.
- The brain scan changes do not prove that blueberry supplementation improves memory or prevents dementia; longer and larger studies are needed.
- The authors note that participants with certain health conditions were excluded, so the findings may not apply to them.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by NIA NIH HHS (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center, USA; b Atlantic Food and Horticultural Research Centre, Canada; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, USA
The paper
- Title
- Enhanced neural activation with blueberry supplementation in mild cognitive impairment
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Boespflug EL, Eliassen JC, Dudley JA, et al (2018). Enhanced neural activation with blueberry supplementation in mild cognitive impairment. Nutritional neuroscience. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2017.1287833Free full textPubMed 28221821DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error