Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is a major disease affecting old cats and is the consequence of severe and irreversible loss of brain cells and brain atrophy. The present study focused on the hypothesis that the optimal strategy for promoting successful brain ageing is to target risk factors associated with brain ageing and dementia. We used a nutritional strategy involving supplementation with a blend of nutrients (antioxidants, arginine, B vitamins and fish oil) to test this hypothesis. Middle-aged and old cats between 5·5 and 8·7 years of age were assigned to cognitively equivalent control or treatment groups based on prior cognitive experience and performance on baseline cognitive tests. The cats in the treatment group were maintained on a diet supplemented with the nutrient blend and the cats in the control group were maintained on the identical base diet without the additional supplementation. After an initial wash-in period, all cats were tested on a battery of cognitive test protocols. The cats fed the test diet showed significantly better performance on three of four test protocols: a protocol assessing egocentric learning, a protocol assessing discrimination and reversal learning and a protocol focused on acquisition of a spatial memory task. The results support the hypothesis that brain function of middle-aged and old cats can be improved by the nutrient blend that was selected to minimise or eliminate the risk factors associated with brain ageing and dementia.Key words: Feline cognitive functions: Arginine: Antioxidants: B vitamins: Fish oil Brain ageing is associated with both a gradual and irreversible loss of brain cells and synapses, which can lead to dementia in human subjects and a syndrome of cognitive dysfunction (CDS), a condition similar to dementia in human subjects, in companion animals (1 -3) . Recent work has established that aged cats, like both dogs and human subjects, develop b-amyloid pathology (4,5) and develop plaques that are immunopositive for AB42, as they are in the human brain (6) . Aged cats have also been reported to develop hyperphosphorylated t protein (7) and decrease in cholinergic-positive neurons (8) . In the human brain, these age-associated changes are known to link to cognitive decline and dementia. Despite evidence to the contrary (9,10) , we have recently reported that neuropsychological test performance in cats shows age-dependent changes that parallel those seen in dogs and in human subjects (11) . In cats, the clinical symptoms of CDS includes disorientation, altered interactions with pet owners and other pets, sleep -wake cycle abnormality, loss of housetraining and altered activity levels and patterns (12,13) . CDS affected 28 % of 11-to 14-year-old cats, and 50 % of cats over 15 years showed one or more signs of CDS (12,13) .Attempts to treat dementia in human subjects and CDS in companion animals are complicated by the fact that once brain cells are lost, they cannot be replaced in sufficient quantities to provide normal brain functions (1 -3,14,15...
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) is a common condition in senior dogs, which may be analogous to dementia such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) in people. In humans, AD has been associated with many risk factors such as reduced cerebral glucose metabolism, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) deficiency, chronic oxidative stress, and chronic inflammation. By targeting some of these risk factors, we have developed two nutritional solutions (medium chain triglyceride, MCT and Brain Protection Blend, BPB) to enhance cognitive function and slow aging-induced cognitive decline. These have been positively evaluated in colony housed senior dogs and cats. The objective of this clinical study was to evaluate the effects of diets with MCTs and the BPB on client-owned dogs with CDS. Participating veterinary clinics screened senior dogs for signs of CDS as determined by a Senior Canine Behavior Questionnaire and a Canine Medical Health Questionnaire. Eighty-seven dogs were randomly enrolled into one of three diet groups with 29 dogs per group: Control, 6.5% MCT oil + BPB (6.5% MCT diet), 9% MCT oil + BPB (9% MCT diet). Diets were fed for a period of 90 days, and each dog's CDS signs were re-evaluated at day 30 and day 90. All 6 categories of the CDS signs were significantly improved (p <0.05) in the dogs given the 6.5% MCT diet at the end of the 90-day study. Control only improved in 4 out 6 categories. The 9% MCT diet only improved in dogs that accepted the diet. The results from this dog study confirm the benefits of MCT and BPB in managing clinical signs of CDS in dogs. The results support our hypothesis that targeting known risk factors associated with brain aging and AD is able to improve symptoms of CDS in dogs. These data may facilitate the development of similar nutrient blends to manage MCI and AD.
Commercially available 0,25,50 and 70% amylose corn starches were extruded with up to 5% talc ((OH)2Mg3(Si,05)2} in a single screw Brabender laboratory extruder at 18% moisture content, 140°C barrel temperature, and 140rpm screw speed. Expansion ratio, unit density, percentages of closed and open pores, porosity and molecular degradation of extruded starches were measured. Addition of talc resulted in decreases in expansion ratio,unit density and percentage of open pores, and in increases in percentage of closed pores and porosity of extrudates. The extrudates became smaller with a greater number of round and uniformly sized cells with added talc. Gel permeation chromatographic fractionation of extrudates showed extensive degradation of fraction I with increasing talc concentrations. The talc appeared to have provided nucleation sites for water vaporization as the material exited the die of the extruder. Wirkung von Talkum auf die Eigenschaften vonMaisstarkeextrudaten. Im Handel erhaltliche 0,25,50 und 70%ige amylosehaltige Maisstarken wurden mit bis zu 5% Talkum ((OH)2Mg3(Si205),} in einem eiwelligen Brabender-Laborextruder bei 18% Feuchtigkeitsgehalt, 14OOC Trommeltemperatur und 140rpm Schraubengeschwindigkeit extrudiert. Ausdehnungsverhaltnis, Einheitsdichte, Prozentsatz an geschlossenen und offenen Poren, Porositat sowie molekularer Abbau der extrudierten Starken wurden gemessen. Der Zusatz von Talkum resultierte in einer Abnahme des Expansionsverhaltnisses, der Einheitsdichte und dem Prozentsatz an offenen Poren sowie in einer Zunahme an geschlossenen Poren und der Porositat der Extrudate. Die Extrudate wurden kleiner mit zunehmender Anzahl an runden und gleichgrol3en Zellen bei Talkumzusatz. Die Gelpermeations-Chromatographie-Fraktion der Extrudate zeigten ausgedehnten Abbau der Fraktion I mit zunehmender Talkum-Konzentration. Talkum scheint bevorzugte Kornbildungspunkte ftur Wasserverdampfung hervorzurufen durch die Duse des Extruders.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.