The study examines the effects of the antioxidant flavonoid Pycnogenol on a range of cognitive and biochemical measures in healthy elderly individuals. The study used a double-blind, placebo-controlled, matched-pair design, with 101 elderly participants (60-85 years) consuming a daily dose of 150 mg of Pycnogenol for a three-month treatment period. Participants were assessed at baseline, then at 1, 2, and 3 months of the treatment. The control (placebo) and Pycnogenol groups were matched by age, sex, body mass index, micronutrient intake, and intelligence. The cognitive tasks comprised measures of attention, working memory, episodic memory, and psychomotor performance. The biological measures comprised levels of clinical hepatic enzymes, serum lipid profile, human growth hormone, and lipid peroxidation products. Statistically significant interactions were found for memory-based cognitive variables and lipid peroxidation products, with the Pycnogenol group displaying improved working memory and decreased concentrations of F2-isoprostanes relative to the control group.

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While Ayurvedic medicine has touted the cognitive enhancing effects of Bacopa monniera for centuries, there is a need for double-blind placebo-controlled investigations. One hundred and seven healthy participants were recruited for this double-blind placebo-controlled independent group design investigation. Sixty-two participants completed the study with 80% treatment compliance. Neuropsychological testing using the Cognitive Drug Research cognitive assessment system was conducted at baseline and after 90 days of treatment with a special extract of Bacopa monniera (2 x 150 mg KeenMind) or placebo. The Bacopa monniera product significantly improved performance on the 'Working Memory' factor, more specifically spatial working memory accuracy. The number of false-positives recorded in the Rapid visual information processing task was also reduced for the Bacopa monniera group following the treatment period. The current study provides support for the two other published studies reporting cognitive enhancing effects in healthy humans after a 90 day administration of the Bacopa monniera extract. Further studies are required to ascertain the effective dosage range, the time required to attain therapeutic levels and the effects over a longer term of administration.

The current study examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and scholastic achievement in Australian adolescents. Two hundred and nine secondary school students (86 males and 123 females) each completed the Adolescent Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (SUEIT) and academic achievement data was collected for all subjects from year seven to eleven. Academic success was found to be associated with higher levels of total EI, via assessment of the EI of different academic levels (80th percentile, 20th percentile, and middle groups). Regression analyses also revealed that dimensions of the Adolescent SUEIT differentially predicted secondary school subject grades: Emotional Management and Control was found to significantly predict Maths (r 2 ¼ 0.06) and Science (r 2 ¼ 0.04); the Understanding Emotions sub-scale significantly predicted scores for Art (r 2 ¼ 0.12) and Geography (r 2 ¼ 0.08). It was concluded that the development of EI may offer educators significant opportunities to improve scholastic performance and emotional competencies.

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