The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people
The effect of flavanol-rich cocoa on the fMRI response to a cognitive task in healthy young people
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DOI：
10.1097/00005344-200606001-00018
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发表时间：
2006-01-01
影响因子：
3
通讯作者：
Macdonald, I. A.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Francis, S. T.;Head, K.;Macdonald, I. A.
黄烷醇是可可和巧克力中发现的主要类黄酮，并且在某些可可中特别丰富。过去十年的研究已经确定黄烷醇具有多种有益的生理和抗氧化作用，特别是在血管功能方面。本研究采用基于血氧水平依赖（BOLD）对比的功能磁共振成像技术，探讨黄烷醇对人脑的影响。磁共振成像被用来测量BOLD反应的认知任务在16个健康的年轻人。所呈现的数据显示，BOLD信号强度增加，以响应摄取富含黄烷醇的可可（5天150毫克可可黄烷醇）后的认知任务。这可能是由于神经元活动的改变，或血管反应性的变化，或两者兼而有之-净效应则取决于这两种效应中哪一种占主导地位。食用中等剂量的可可黄烷醇后，行为反应时间、转换成本和心率没有明显的影响。一项初步研究评估了脑血流量与单次急性剂量（450 mg黄烷醇）富含黄烷醇的可可之间的关系，并表明富含黄烷醇的可可可以增加大脑灰质的血流量，这表明可可黄烷醇治疗血管损伤的潜力，包括痴呆和中风，从而保持心血管健康。
Flavanols are the main flavonoids found in cocoa and chocolate, and can be especially abundant in certain cocoas. Research over the past decade has identified flavanols as showing diverse beneficial physiologic and antioxidant effects, particularly in context of vascular function. The present study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging based on blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) contrast to explore the effect of flavanols on the human brain. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure BOLD responses to a cognitive task in 16 healthy young subjects. The data presented show an increase in the BOLD signal intensity in response to a cognitive task following ingestion of flavanol-rich cocoa (5 days of 150 mg of cocoa flavanols). This may arise either as a result of altered neuronal activity, or a change in vascular responsiveness, or both-the net effect then being dependent on which of the two effects is dominant. No significant effects were evident in behavioral reaction times, switch cost, and heart rate after consumption of this moderate dose of cocoa flavanols. A pilot study evaluated the relationship between cerebral blood flow and a single acute dose (450 mg flavanols) of flavanol-rich cocoa and showed that flavanol-rich cocoa can increase the cerebral blood flow to gray matter, suggesting the potential of cocoa flavanols for treatment of vascular impairment, including dementia and strokes, and thus for maintaining cardiovascular health.