Study
A phase-II randomized controlled pilot study of nicotinamide riboside supplementation in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment.
In 42 adults with mild cognitive impairment, nicotinamide riboside doubled blood NAD but did not improve cognition over 12 weeks.
Summary Can nicotinamide riboside improve memory in older adults with mild impairment? Show / hide ↓
Researchers gave 42 older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, a memory-related form of early cognitive decline, either nicotinamide riboside or an inactive placebo for 12 weeks. The study was double-blind, meaning neither participants nor researchers knew who received the supplement until the end. Nicotinamide riboside doubled blood NAD, a molecule involved in cell energy. Despite this, it did not improve the main memory and thinking test, total blood flow to the brain, or blood pressure compared with the placebo. A possible increase in blood flow to the hippocampus, a brain area involved in memory, was only an early exploratory finding.
What this means for you: For someone considering nicotinamide riboside for memory, this small study gives no evidence of benefit after 12 weeks. It shows that the supplement raises NAD in the blood, but that change did not improve thinking or memory in this study.
early evidenceThis phase II pilot was a 12-week, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study of nicotinamide riboside in adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Forty-two participants completed treatment: 22 received nicotinamide riboside and 20 placebo. The study assessed safety, tolerability, cognitive function, cerebral blood flow and blood pressure.
Adherence was similar between groups, and the abstract reports no serious adverse effects. Nicotinamide riboside doubled blood NAD in the active-treatment group. That biochemical change did not translate into improvement in the primary cognitive outcome. It also did not improve total cerebral blood flow or blood pressure, which were secondary outcomes. Exploratory analyses suggested possible increases in regional cerebral blood flow, particularly in the hippocampus, but this was not a confirmed primary or secondary result.
The study is relevant to a specific clinical population with cognitive impairment rather than healthy ageing. Its clearest result is that the supplement raised NAD over 12 weeks. It provides no evidence of cognitive benefit during that period. Any regional blood-flow signal remains exploratory and needs confirmation in a larger, longer trial.
Nicotinamide riboside raises NAD in people with mild cognitive impairment but did not improve cognition, total cerebral blood flow or blood pressure over 12 weeks.
This was a 42-person pilot in adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment. The 12-week duration and exploratory regional blood-flow analysis are insufficient to establish clinical cognitive benefit.
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