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The effect of spermidine on memory performance in older adults at risk for dementia: a randomized controlled trial

Wirth M, Benson G, Schwarz C, Köbe T, Grittner U, Schmitz D, Sigrist SJ, Bohlken J, Stekovic S, Madeo F, Flöel A
Cortex 2018 109:181-188

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 30388439
DOI
10.1016/j.cortex.2018.09.014
Funding
Supported by German institutional and academic research grants (Charité — Universitätsmedizin Berlin and collaborating institutions); full disclosure in the original publication.
Competing interests
None declared in the published article.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase IIa pilot trial
ModelOlder adults with subjective cognitive decline
Sample30 participants (60-80 years)
InterventionSpermidine-rich plant extract supplement vs placebo
Duration3 months
EndpointsMnemonic discrimination / memory performance (behavioural pattern-separation task)

What the study showed, in plain terms

In this small early trial, older adults with memory complaints who took a spermidine supplement for three months showed modestly better performance on a memory test than those on placebo.

Key findings

Memory performance, assessed by a mnemonic discrimination task, was moderately better in the spermidine group than placebo after three months (medium effect size). This was the first human RCT evidence for spermidine's cognitive effects and motivated a larger follow-up trial (SmartAge).

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small sample size (n=30) and short duration limit statistical power and generalisability. This pilot finding did NOT replicate in the larger, longer follow-up SmartAge trial (Schwarz et al. 2022), which found no significant effect on the primary memory outcome over 12 months.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology