Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in an acute improvement in visual and cognitive functions
Consumption of cocoa flavanols results in an acute improvement in visual and cognitive functions
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DOI：
10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.02.013
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发表时间：
2011-06-01
影响因子：
2.9
通讯作者：
Butler, Laurie T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Field, David T.;Williams, Claire M.;Butler, Laurie T.
可可黄烷醇（CF）影响生理过程的方式表明，他们的消费可能会改善神经功能的方面，以前的研究发现CF对认知能力的积极影响。在这项初步研究中，我们调查了年轻人的视觉和认知功能是否受到急性剂量CF的影响。我们采用了随机、单盲、顺序平衡、交叉设计，其中30名健康成年人食用含有720 mg CF的黑巧克力和匹配量的白色巧克力，测试期之间间隔一周。视觉对比敏感度通过阅读亮度逐渐变得与其背景更加相似的数字来评估。首先通过测量可以在随机运动的背景下检测到的相干移动信号点的阈值比例，其次通过确定在包含高比例相干运动的显示器中检测运动方向所需的最小时间，来评估运动灵敏度。认知性能进行了评估，使用视觉空间工作记忆的位置任务和选择反应时任务，旨在从事持续的注意和抑制的过程。相对于控制条件。CF提高了视觉对比敏感度，减少了检测运动方向所需的时间，但对可检测到的相干运动的最小比例没有统计学可靠的影响。在认知表现方面，CF改善了空间记忆和选择反应时任务的某些方面的表现。除了扩展已知受CF消耗影响的认知任务的范围外，这是CF对视觉功能效率的急性影响的第一份报告。这些急性效应可以通过CF引起的脑血流量增加来解释，尽管在对比敏感度的情况下，CF诱导的视网膜血流量变化可能有额外的贡献。(C)2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Cocoa flavanols (CF) influence physiological processes in ways that suggest their consumption may improve aspects of neural function, and previous studies have found positive influences of CF on cognitive performance. In this preliminary study we investigated whether visual, as well as cognitive, function is influenced by an acute dose of CF in young adults. We employed a randomized, single-blinded, order counterbalanced, crossover design in which 30 healthy adults consumed both dark chocolate containing 720 mg CF and a matched quantity of white chocolate, with a one week interval between testing sessions. Visual contrast sensitivity was assessed by reading numbers that became progressively more similar in luminance to their background. Motion sensitivity was assessed firstly by measuring the threshold proportion of coherently moving signal dots that could be detected against a background of random motion, and secondly by determining the minimum time required to detect motion direction in a display containing a high proportion of coherent motion. Cognitive performance was assessed using a visual spatial working memory for location task and a choice reaction time task designed to engage processes of sustained attention and inhibition. Relative to the control condition. CF improved visual contrast sensitivity and reduced the time required to detect motion direction, but had no statistically reliable effect on the minimum proportion of coherent motion that could be detected. In terms of cognitive performance, CF improved spatial memory and performance on some aspects of the choice reaction time task. As well as extending the range of cognitive tasks that are known to be influenced by CF consumption, this is the first report of acute effects of CF on the efficiency of visual function. These acute effects can be explained by increased cerebral blood flow caused by CF, although in the case of contrast sensitivity there may be an additional contribution from CF induced retinal blood flow changes. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.