Single doses of Panax ginseng (G115) reduce blood glucose levels and improve cognitive performance during sustained mental activity.

Single doses of the traditional herbal treatment Panax ginseng have recently been shown to elicit cognitive improvements in healthy young volunteers. The mechanisms by which ginseng improves cognitive performance are not known. However, they may be related to the glycaemic properties of some Panax species.

Compromised arterial oxygen saturation in elderly asthma sufferers results in selective cognitive impairment.

Forty elderly patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) were compared to a comparison group of forty age-matched healthy volunteers on a range of measures of cognitive performance, and levels of arterial haemoglobin oxygen saturation recorded. Members of the patient group were found to have significantly lower oxygen saturation compared to the comparison group, and performed significantly poorer on tests of delayed word recall and serial subtractions, but not on other tasks. Correlational analysis between participants' oxygen saturation levels and test scores across the whole sample indicated significant positive relationships existed for the digit symbol substitution and serial subtractions tasks.

Self-rated everyday and prospective memory abilities of cigarette smokers and non-smokers: a web-based study.

The present study examined self-ratings of two aspects of everyday memory performance: long-term prospective memory-measured by the prospective memory questionnaire (PMQ), and everyday memory-measured by the everyday memory questionnaire (EMQ). Use of other substances was also measured and used as covariates in the study. To ensure confidentiality and to expand the numbers used in previous studies, an Internet study was carried out and data from 763 participants was gathered.

Blood glucose changes and memory: effects of manipulating emotionality and mental effort.

Increasing the emotionality of target material often facilitates memory performance which may be linked to the liberation of glucose. Conversely, increasing mental effort leads to reduced performance and measurable falls in blood glucose. A 2 x 2, parallel groups experiment examined these two phenomena directly by assessing blood glucose levels and memory for neutral and emotional word lists, both with and without a secondary task.

Cognitive and mood improvements of caffeine in habitual consumers and habitual non-consumers of caffeine.

Rationale: The cognitive and mood effects of caffeine are well documented. However, the majority of studies in this area involve caffeine-deprived, habitual caffeine users. It is therefore unclear whether any beneficial findings are due to the positive effects of caffeine or to the alleviation of caffeine withdrawal.

Positive modulation of mood and cognitive performance following administration of acute doses of Salvia lavandulaefolia essential oil to healthy young volunteers.

Members of the Sage family, such as Salvia officinalis and Salvia lavandulaefolia, have a long history of use as memory-enhancing agents coupled with cholinergic properties that may potentially be relevant to the amelioration of the cognitive deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease. The current study utilised a placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced, crossover design in order to comprehensively assess any mood and cognition modulation by S. lavandulaefolia.

Improved cognitive performance in human volunteers following administration of guarana (Paullinia cupana) extract: comparison and interaction with Panax ginseng.

Extracts from the plant guarana (Paullinia cupana) feature as putatively stimulating ingredients in a number of foods, drinks and dietary/herbal supplements. To date, little research in humans has examined the potential psychoactive effects of these extracts. Extracts of Panax ginseng, which are often sold in combination with guarana, contain similar potentially active components, and have been shown to modulate cognitive performance.

A randomised crossover trial of post-operative cognitive and psychomotor recovery from benzodiazepine sedation: effects of reversal with flumazenil over a prolonged recovery period.

Objective: To study the post-operative cognitive and psychomotor recovery from midazolam conscious sedation, after reversal with the benzodiazepine antagonist flumazenil over a prolonged recovery period.

Design: A prospective, double-blind, randomised, crossover trial.

Setting: Out-patient Sedation Department, Newcastle Dental Hospital and School

Method: Eighteen patients, ASA I or II, received midazolam on two separate occasions to undergo equivalent dental treatment.

Cognitive and physiological effects of an "energy drink": an evaluation of the whole drink and of glucose, caffeine and herbal flavouring fractions.

Rationale: Both glucose and caffeine can improve aspects of cognitive performance and, in the case of caffeine, mood. There are few studies investigating the effects of the two substances in combination.

Objectives: We assessed the mood, cognitive and physiological effects of a soft drink containing caffeine and glucose as well as flavouring levels of herbal extracts.

Chewing gum and cognitive performance: a case of a functional food with function but no food?

Recent reports suggest that enhancement of memory performance while chewing gum is a fairly robust phenomenon. The processes underlying the effect are not known, but may involve glucose delivery, context-dependent effects and arousal mechanisms amongst others. This brief commentary outlines the main findings from these studies and raises some issues regarding interpretation, methodology and future research directions.

Attenuation of laboratory-induced stress in humans after acute administration of Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm).

Objective: Melissa officinalis (lemon balm) is contemporaneously used as a mild sedative and/or calming agent. Although recent research has demonstrated modulation of mood in keeping with these roles, no studies to date have directly investigated the effects of this herbal medication on laboratory-induced psychological stress.

Methods: In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, balanced crossover experiment, 18 healthy volunteers received two separate single doses of a standardized M.

A glucose-caffeine 'energy drink' ameliorates subjective and performance deficits during prolonged cognitive demand.

Effects of a combination of caffeine and glucose were assessed in two double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over studies during extended performance of cognitively demanding tasks. In the first study, 30 participants received two drinks containing carbohydrate and caffeine (68 g/38 mg; 68 g/46 mg, respectively) and a placebo drink, in counter-balanced order, on separate days. In the second study 26 participants received a drink containing 60 g of carbohydrate and 33 mg of caffeine and a placebo drink.

Increased intensity of Ecstasy and polydrug usage in the more experienced recreational Ecstasy/MDMA users: a WWW study.

Recreational Ecstasy/MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) users often take a variety of psychoactive drugs, but there is little empirical data on how these drug consumption patterns change with greater experience of Ecstasy. The aim of this study was to compare the polydrug usage patterns reported by non-Ecstasy users, novice Ecstasy users, moderate Ecstasy users, and heavy Ecstasy users. In a WWW study of 763 unpaid volunteers, 481 had never taken Ecstasy, whereas 282 reported they had taken it.

Effect of ethanol on judgments of performance.

Ethanol impairs cognitive and psychomotor performance, although the precise reasons for this remain unclear. We investigated the effect of ethanol on individuals' judgment of their performance. Eighteen healthy volunteers (19-22 years) received a high dose of ethanol (0.

Patterns of drug use and the influence of gender on self-reports of memory ability in ecstasy users: a web-based study.

Research indicates that the use of recreational drugs, including MDMA ('ecstasy') can result in impairments in cognitive functioning. Recent evidence, based on accounts of 'on drug' effects and cortical binding ratios suggests that women may be more susceptible to the effects of MDMA; however, no research has explored whether there are differences in the long-term behavioural sequelae of the drug between men and women. In addition, little is known about the profile of functioning of the 'typical' user.

An investigation into the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.

The study sought to determine the psychometric properties of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) assessed using a web-based data collection tool. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted on the HADS to determine its psychometric properties in 117 individuals with CFS. Seven models were tested to determine model fit to the data.

Electroencephalograph effects of single doses of Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng in healthy young volunteers.

Both Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng exert a number of physiological effects and have been shown to modulate aspects of cognitive performance. Whilst a number of studies have examined ginkgo's effects on electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings, to date, none have investigated the EEG effects of ginseng. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced crossover experiment, the effects of single doses of G.

Ginseng: potential for the enhancement of cognitive performance and mood.

Ginseng has been used medicinally in the Far East for several millennia and is currently one of the most widely taken herbal products throughout the world. It has been attributed with a plethora of physiological effects that could potentially benefit cognitive performance or mood. Studies involving animals show that ginseng and its constituent ginsenosides can modulate indices of stress, fatigue, and learning.

Salvia lavandulaefolia (Spanish sage) enhances memory in healthy young volunteers.

Sage (Salvia) has a longstanding reputation in British herbal encyclopaedias as an agent that enhances memory, although there is little evidence regarding the efficacy of sage from systematized trials. Based on known pharmacokinetic and binding properties, it was hypothesised that acute administration of sage would enhance memory in young adult volunteers. Two experiments utilised a placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced, crossover methodology.

Modulation of mood and cognitive performance following acute administration of single doses of Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) with human CNS nicotinic and muscarinic receptor-binding properties.

Melissa officinalis (Lemon balm) is a herbal medicine that has traditionally been attributed with memory-enhancing properties, but which is currently more widely used as a mild sedative and sleep aid. In a previous study it was demonstrated that a commercial Melissa extract led to dose-specific increases in calmness, and dose-dependent decrements in timed memory task performance. However, the extract utilized in that study did not exhibit in vitro cholinergic receptor-binding properties.

Effects of alcohol on subjective ratings of prospective and everyday memory deficits.

Background: Research has shown that heavy alcohol use has a detrimental effect on retrospective memory. Less is known about the effect of alcohol on everyday memory.

Methods: This study examined self-ratings of two aspects of memory performance: prospective memory (for example, forgetting to pass on a message) and everyday memory (measured by cognitive failures, such as telling someone a joke that you have told them before).

Validation of a telephone cognitive assessment test battery for use in chronic fatigue syndrome.

We compared a computerized version of the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) cognitive assessment test battery and a completely automated telephone version of the same battery. These assessed aspects of attention, working memory and long-term memory. Both methods were used to assess the cognitive performance of a cohort of 30 people with confirmed chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and a group of 30 healthy controls matched for age and education.