Low macular pigment optical density is associated with lower cognitive performance in a large, population-based sample of older adults

Feeney, Joanne; Finucane, Ciarán; Savva, George M.; Cronin, Hilary; Beatty, Stephen; Nolan, John M.; Kenny, Rose Anne

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2013.05.007

Cited by 124 publications

(104 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…The involvement of lutein in the prevention of agerelated macular degeneration has been suggested (7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13). Lutein has recently been shown in the human brain where it has been suggested to have a beneficial role on cognitive function (14,15).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interindividual variability of lutein bioavailability in healthy men: characterization, genetic variants involved, and relation with fasting plasma lutein concentration

Borel¹,

Desmarchelier²,

Nowicki³

et al. 2014

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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Background: Lutein accumulates in the macula and brain, where it is assumed to play physiologic roles. The bioavailability of lutein is assumed to display a high interindividual variability that has been hypothesized to be attributable, at least partly, to genetic polymorphisms. Objectives: We characterized the interindividual variability in lutein bioavailability in humans, assessed the relation between this variability and the fasting blood lutein concentration, and identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) involved in this phenomenon. Design: In a randomized, 2-way crossover study, 39 healthy men consumed a meal that contained a lutein supplement or the same meal for which lutein was provided through a tomato puree. The lutein concentration was measured in plasma chylomicrons isolated at regular time intervals over 8 h postprandially. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to identify a combination of SNPs associated with the postprandial chylomicron lutein response (0-8-h area under the curve). A total of 1785 SNPs in 51 candidate genes were selected. Results: Postprandial chylomicron lutein responses to meals were very variable (CV of 75% and 137% for the lutein-supplement meal and the meal with tomato-sourced lutein, respectively). Postprandial chylomicron lutein responses measured after the 2 meals were positively correlated (r = 0.68, P , 0.0001) and positively correlated to the fasting plasma lutein concentration (r = 0.51, P , 0.005 for the lutein-supplement-containing meal). A significant (P = 1.9 3 10 24 )and validated partial least-squares regression model, which included 29 SNPs in 15 genes, explained most of the variance in the postprandial chylomicron lutein response. Conclusions: The ability to respond to lutein appears to be, at least in part, genetically determined. The ability is explained, in large part, by a combination of SNPs in 15 genes related to both lutein and chylomicron metabolism. Finally, our results suggest that the ability to respond to lutein and blood lutein status are related. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02100774. Am J Clin Nutr 2014;100:168-75.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interindividual variability of lutein bioavailability in healthy men: characterization, genetic variants involved, and relation with fasting plasma lutein concentration

Borel¹,

Desmarchelier²,

Nowicki³

et al. 2014

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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“…Significant relations have been reported between macular pigment optical density (MPOD; L and Z and meso-Z measured in the retina) and a large number of visual measures including glare disability and discomfort, photostress recovery, and chromatic contrast [13]. Measures of L and Z within the retina appear to be strongly linked to measures of L and Z in brain tissue [29] and MPOD has also been linked to measures that are mediated by brain such as cognition [15,9,23], auditory thresholds [33], balance time, reaction time [22], and temporal vision [11,21,2].Taken together, L and Z seem important to biology, in general, and humans are no exception. In many cases, the basis for their functional effects has been well characterized.…”

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confidence: 99%

A randomized placebo-controlled study on the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual processing speed in young healthy subjects

Bovier

Hammond

2015

Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics

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Speed of processing is a particularly important characteristic of the visual system. Often a behavioral reaction to a visual stimulus must be faster than the conscious perception of that stimulus, as is the case with many sports (e.g., baseball). Visual psychophysics provides a relatively simple and precise means of measuring visual processing speed called the temporal contrast sensitivity function (tCSF). Past study has shown that macular pigment (a collection of xanthophylls, lutein (L), meso-zeaxanthin (MZ) and zeaxanthin (Z), found in the retina) optical density (MPOD) is positively correlated with the tCSF. In this study, we found similar correlations when testing 102 young healthy subjects. As a follow-up, we randomized 69 subjects to receive a placebo (n=15) or one of two L and Z supplements (n=54). MPOD and tCSF were measured psychophysically at baseline and 4months. Neither MPOD nor tCSF changed for the placebo condition, but both improved significantly as a result of supplementation. These results show that an intervention with L and Z can increase processing speed even in young healthy subjects.

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“…Lower MPOD was associated with poorer performance on the mini-mental state examination and on the Montreal cognitive assessment. Individuals with lower MPOD also had poorer prospective memory, took longer time to complete a trail-making task, and had slower and more variable reaction times on a choice reaction time task (Feeney et al, 2013). MPOD levels were significantly associated with better global cognition, verbal learning and fluency, recall, processing speed and perceptual speed in older adults from the age-related maculopathy ancillary study of the Health Aging and Body Composition Study (Vishwanathan et al, 2014a).…”

Section: Lutein and Zeaxanthin: The Function In The Brainmentioning

confidence: 96%

Why lutein is important for the eye and the brain

Ramírez

2015

OCL

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-Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids that accumulate in the macula. The macula is a yellow spot near the center of the retina that is responsible of high resolution vision. Macular pigment acts as a natural blue light filter and protects the eye from damage. Macular pigment optical density (MPOD) increases with lutein administration and is related to visual function and to the prevention of age-related macular degeneration. MOPD can be measured noninvasively and has been related to better cognitive performance. Moreover, compositional analyses of centenarian brains have shown that lutein is the main carotenoid in the brain although not in plasma, indicating a preferential accumulation in neural tissues, and that carotenoids status is correlated with some functional outcomes. Carotenoids are present in human milk with higher concentration in colostrum than in transitional and mature milk. Formula fed-infants have less plasma lutein concentration than breast fed infants. Analyses of brain from infants who died during the first year of life showed that lutein is also the predominant carotenoid of brain. Studies in non-human primates revealed that carotenoids are determinant in the formation of the retinal epithelia. In vitro studies showed that lutein stimulates the differentiation of human stem cells to neural progenitor cells. All this findings together, mostly the presence of lutein in breast milk, plasma concentration in breast-fed infants vs. formula fed infants, preferential accumulation in the brain and evidences of influence on the retina and the functionality of the brain signal the importance of the role of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual maturation and brain development.Keywords: Lutein / zeaxanthin / brain / infant / nutrition Résumé -Importance de la lutéine pour l'oeil et le cerveau. La lutéine et la zéaxanthine sont des caroténoïdes qui s'accumulent dans la macula. La macula est une tache jaune, située près du centre de la rétine, qui est responsable de la vision fine. Le pigment maculaire agit comme un filtre naturel de la lumière bleue nocive et protège l'oeil contre d'éventuels dommages. La densité optique du pigment maculaire (ou MPOD, acronyme de Macular pigment optical density) augmente avec l'administration de lutéine et est liée à la qualité de la fonction visuelle et à la prévention de la dégénérescence maculaire liée à l'âge. La MOPD peut être mesurée de manière non invasive et a été associée à de meilleures performances cognitives. En outre, les analyses de composition de cerveaux de centenaires ont montré que la lutéine est le caroténoïde principal du cerveau mais pas du plasma, ce qui indique une accumulation préférentielle dans les tissus neuronaux et que le statut en caroténoïdes est corrélé avec quelques données fonctionnelles. Les caroténoïdes sont présents dans le lait maternel avec une concentration plus élevée dans le colostrum que dans lait de transition ou mature. Les enfants nourris avec des formules infantiles (végétales) présentent des diminutions de concentrations...

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Low macular pigment optical density is associated with lower cognitive performance in a large, population-based sample of older adults

Cited by 124 publications

References 47 publications

Interindividual variability of lutein bioavailability in healthy men: characterization, genetic variants involved, and relation with fasting plasma lutein concentration

Interindividual variability of lutein bioavailability in healthy men: characterization, genetic variants involved, and relation with fasting plasma lutein concentration

A randomized placebo-controlled study on the effects of lutein and zeaxanthin on visual processing speed in young healthy subjects

Why lutein is important for the eye and the brain

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