Animal studies propose CoQ10 protects representation and learning, but quality grounds remains inconsistent, highlighting nan urgent request for rigorous tests to find its domiciled successful preventing cognitive decline.
Coenzyme Q10 and Cognition: A Review. Image Credit: Svetlyachock / Shutterstock
In a caller study published successful nan journal Nutrients, Australian researchers reviewed nan effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation connected cognition. Approximately 22% of nan world’s organization is estimated to beryllium 60 years aliases older by 2050. Accompanying this alteration will beryllium an summation successful group pinch cognitive diminution and nan prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases. The causes of neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive diminution are multifactorial, but nan awesome contributors are oxidative stress, inflammation, mediocre cardiovascular health, decreased cerebral humor flow, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
These aggregate processes successful nan assemblage and encephalon require various targeted therapeutic approaches. Various approaches to addressing age-related cognitive diminution person been employed, including dietary modifications, beingness activity, medications, and nutritional supplements. CoQ10 is an antioxidant and metabolic stimulant that positively influences biologic mechanisms applicable to cognition, pinch mixed effects connected cognitive trial capacity successful trials. In nan coming study, researchers reviewed nan effects of CoQ10 supplementation connected cognition.
Cardiovascular and non-cognitive effects of CoQ10
CoQ10 plays a awesome domiciled successful adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis by transporting electrons from Complexes I and II to Complex III successful nan particle carrier chain. Its bioavailability differs betwixt formulations specified arsenic ubiquinone and ubiquinol, which whitethorn power objective outcomes. In a objective trial, preoperative CoQ10 therapy successful patients scheduled for an elective bosom room accrued cardiac and myocardial mitochondrial CoQ10 levels, improving nan ratio of power production.
A meta-analysis of tests of CoQ10 curen successful bosom nonaccomplishment indicated that CoQ10 supplementation enhanced ejection fraction by 3.67% and reduced nan New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional people by 0.3. A study reported that semipermanent CoQ10 therapy was safe, alleviated symptoms, and reduced adverse cardiovascular events successful patients pinch chronic bosom failure.
Evidence from successful vitro and animal studies
A study successful mice investigated whether CoQ10 supplementation slows age-related cognitive diminution compared to a regular diet. Although nary important capacity improvements were observed successful a trial measuring learning and spatial memory, CoQ10 levels were importantly elevated wrong nan cortex. Another study examined nan mixed effects of CoQ10 and vitamin E, and recovered benefits of nan operation curen connected learning successful aged mice.
In a rat exemplary of Alzheimer’s illness (AD), CoQ10 therapy improved memory, retention, and learning, pinch important decreases successful oxidative accent and increases successful ATP levels wrong nan cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Moreover, different study reported improved learning and representation pinch CoQ10 curen successful rats pinch cognitive dysfunction.
One study examined nan narration betwixt AD and CoQ10 successful genetically modified mice and recovered that CoQ10 management altered nan look of 12 proteins successful nan hippocampus and improved spatial representation successful genetically modified mice pinch AD. Specifically, nan overexpression of complexin 1 (CPLX-1) and CPLX-2 pursuing CoQ10 therapy prevented representation impairments.
Furthermore, CoQ10 therapy importantly improved cognitive functions successful a double-transgenic rodent model, preventing AD progression done decreased inflammation and oxidative stress, arsenic good arsenic nan activation of autophagy. CoQ10 supplementation improved short-term representation impairments successful a rat exemplary of Parkinson’s disease, and nan effect was further enhanced successful operation pinch wheatgrass, sesamol, and thymol.
Evidence from objective research
Research connected nan cognitive effects of CoQ10 supplements successful patient group is limited, pinch only 2 randomized objective tests (RCTs) conducted to date. One proceedings assessed nan effect of a low-dose CoQ10 successful operation pinch mineral and multivitamin supplements successful patient females. Cerebral humor travel was importantly accrued during cognitive tasks successful nan curen group, albeit task capacity showed nary changes.
The different proceedings recovered nary important differences successful nan digit awesome substitution test, nan way making test, and nan representation capacity scale (MPI) successful group taking ubiquinol (reduced shape of CoQ10). Notably, group who were cognitively normal astatine baseline showed important improvements successful MPI pursuing 34 weeks of ubiquinol supplementation. The reappraisal emphasized that these findings should beryllium interpreted cautiously owed to dose, formulation, and statistical limitations. In AD, CoQ10 curen had nary detectable effects connected cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers, suggesting nary effects connected cognition.
In individuals pinch mild cognitive impairment, a one-year supplementation pinch ubiquinol improved cerebral vasoreactivity and reduced inflammation successful males, pinch nary changes successful cognition observed successful either sex. Furthermore, RCTs of nan mixed CoQ10 and vitamin E curen reported nary improvements successful cognitive usability successful patients pinch Parkinson’s disease.
One study reported that CoQ10 supplementation improved cognitive function, reduced fatigue symptoms, enhanced moving memory, and improved arithmetic task capacity successful patients pinch chronic fatigue syndrome. In a study of patients pinch progressive supranuclear palsy, CoQ10 management improved cognitive tasks involving nan frontal lobe.
Concluding remarks
In summary, while animal studies propose protective effects of CoQ10 connected cognition successful patient aging and neurodegenerative illness models, objective tests show immoderate benefits successful circumstantial illness contexts but not successful patient aging, pinch respective studies reporting non-significant aliases null effects. These null effects whitethorn beryllium attributed to insufficient statistical powerfulness and mini sample sizes alternatively than nan absence of an effect. However, nan wide mixed findings underscore nan request for high-quality objective trials.
Journal reference:
- Nankivell MC, Rosenfeldt F, Pipingas A, Pase MP, Reddan JM, Stough C (2025). Coenzyme Q10 and Cognition: A Review. Nutrients, 17(17), 2896. DOI: 10.3390/nu17172896, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/17/17/2896