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(https://www.psypost.org/whole-coffee-cherry-extract-supplement-might-improve-working-memory/) Whole coffee cherry extract supplement might improve working memory
Nov 28th 2024, 08:00

A recent placebo-controlled study on middle-aged adults found that taking a single capsule containing 200 mg of decaffeinated whole coffee cherry extract improves performance in two types of cognitive tasks: working memory and response inhibition. Long-term results indicate that these supplements also improve accuracy in these tasks. The paper was published in (https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/16/14/2348) Nutrients.
Whole coffee cherry refers to the entire fruit of the coffee plant, including the outer skin, pulp, and the coffee beans (seeds) inside. Traditionally, the beans are extracted, and the rest of the cherry is discarded or used as compost.
In recent years, however, the whole coffee cherry has gained popularity for its potential health benefits. It is rich in antioxidants, particularly chlorogenic acids, and contains natural caffeine, making it a popular ingredient in beverages, supplements, and functional foods. The pulp and skin also have a slightly sweet, fruity flavor, which is sometimes used to make cascara tea.
Study author Jennifer L. Robinson and her colleagues aimed to explore the acute and long-term effects of decaffeinated whole coffee cherry extract intake on cognitive performance. They used a proprietary powdered extract of whole coffee cherries from Coffea arabica, which is decaffeinated and contains high levels of coffee polyphenols.
The researchers hypothesized that a single 200 mg dose of coffee cherry extract would improve performance on working memory and inhibitory control tasks. Working memory is the ability to temporarily hold and manipulate information, such as remembering a phone number while dialing it or solving a math problem.
It is a key component of higher-level cognitive functioning, enabling reasoning, decision-making, and learning. Response inhibition is the capacity to suppress impulsive or automatic responses when they are inappropriate, such as stopping oneself from blurting out an answer or resisting a distraction. This skill is critical for self-regulation and goal-directed behavior.
The study involved 323 adults between 40 and 65 years of age, with no known psychiatric or neurological conditions, who were generally healthy. Participants were recruited through Qualtrics, and 202 of them were women.
The researchers randomly divided the participants into two groups. One group received 200 mg capsules of coffee cherry extract to take daily for 28 days upon waking. The other group received microcellulose capsules (placebo) with the same instructions. Participants did not know whether the capsules they were taking contained coffee cherry extract or microcellulose, and the researchers working directly with participants were also blinded to this information (the study was double-blind).
Every seven days during the study period, participants took a cognitive assessment one hour after consuming their assigned supplement. The assessment consisted of nine different cognitive tasks that broadly tested working memory, focus, attention, accuracy, and response inhibition. However, this paper only reported results for working memory and response inhibition.
At the start of the study, the group taking coffee cherry extract already demonstrated better cognitive performance than the control group (the group taking microcellulose). Despite this initial advantage, the coffee cherry extract group showed greater improvements on cognitive tests after taking the supplement.
One hour after consuming a single 200 mg dose of coffee cherry extract, this group demonstrated significantly stronger performance on the working memory test compared to the placebo group. Specifically, the number of omissions on one type of working memory test (n-back) decreased by 81% in the coffee cherry extract group, compared to an 11% decrease in the placebo group. The number of correct answers on the same test increased by 25% in the coffee cherry extract group, compared to a 5% increase in the placebo group.
Similarly, the group taking coffee cherry extract showed improved accuracy and fewer omissions one hour after taking the supplement on response inhibition tasks (Go/No-go tasks) compared to the placebo group. Over the long term, the coffee cherry extract group outperformed the placebo group in measures of accuracy on cognitive tasks.
“We feel that these data serve to enrich the growing body of evidence that CCE [whole coffee cherry extract] may support and potentially enhance brain health and function in older adults. Given the burgeoning global interest in brain health supplementation, it is critical that more robust research efforts are devoted toward characterizing the nature and efficacy of these supplements,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the effects whole coffee cherry extract supplements have on cognitive performance, both acutely, and after a month of intake. However, it should be noted that the study was sponsored and supported by the company producing the coffee cherry extract supplement used in the research. The sponsor declared providing minor proofreading comments on the final draft of the paper.
The paper, “(https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142348) Whole Coffee Cherry Extract Improves Working Memory and Response Inhibition: Acute and Longitudinal Results from a Remote, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial,” was authored by Jennifer L. Robinson, John M. Hunter, Megan Kern, Merlina Rodas, Jasmine Jowers, Jenna Robertson, and Caitlyn Wanalista.

(https://www.psypost.org/neuroscientists-uncover-brain-changes-linked-to-alzheimers-before-symptoms-arise/) Neuroscientists uncover brain changes linked to Alzheimer’s before symptoms arise
Nov 28th 2024, 06:00

A recent study in (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-024-01763-8) Nature Neuroscience provides new insights into how amyloid-beta and tau proteins, which accumulate in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, alter brain activity and potentially contribute to cognitive decline. Researchers observed a progression from hyperactivity to hypoactivity in brain regions affected by these proteins, a shift that correlated with declines in attention and memory. These findings suggest that changes in brain activity might serve as early indicators of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder and the most common cause of dementia, affecting millions of people worldwide. It typically begins with memory loss and difficulties in thinking and reasoning, progressing in advanced stages to impairments in basic daily tasks.
The condition is marked by the abnormal buildup of two proteins in the brain: amyloid-beta and tau. Amyloid-beta forms sticky plaques between brain cells, while tau aggregates into tangles within cells, disrupting their function. Together, these proteins are believed to drive a cascade of harmful processes, including inflammation, loss of synaptic connections, neuronal death, and ultimately brain atrophy.
Amyloid-beta and tau accumulate long before noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease appear, sometimes decades earlier. Amyloid-beta plaques often develop first, starting in high-activity brain regions like the precuneus and spreading outward. Tau tangles typically emerge later, affecting memory-critical areas such as the entorhinal cortex. Although these proteins are strongly linked to Alzheimer’s, the precise ways in which they interact to cause cognitive decline remain unclear. One leading hypothesis suggests that amyloid-beta triggers hyperactivity in brain cells, which exacerbates tau pathology and leads to progressively slower brain activity as the disease advances.
The new study aimed to fill gaps in understanding how amyloid-beta and tau disrupt brain function in humans, particularly before cognitive symptoms arise. While animal studies and computational models have suggested similar patterns, evidence of these protein-induced brain activity changes in humans was lacking.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a growing global challenge, but its progression often begins silently, years before symptoms like memory loss appear. We wanted to explore how the earliest brain changes, specifically those related to either amyloid-beta, tau protein accumulation or both, might influence brain activity and predict cognitive decline,” said study author (https://www.neurospeed-bailletlab.org/) Sylvain Baillet, a professor of neurology & neurosurgery and computer science at McGill University.
“Our goal was to contribute to the understanding of how these proteins interact with brain activity and how they affect brain function in asymptomatic individuals at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, ultimately seeking early markers for detection and intervention and monitoring—a question with significant repercussions beyond a fundamental understanding of disease mechanisms, as treatments are starting to become available to patients and require a delivery as early as possible and clinical monitoring.”
For their study, the researchers recruited 104 participants who were cognitively normal but had a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, placing them at an elevated risk for the condition. The researchers aimed to explore how the accumulation of amyloid-beta and tau proteins in the brain affects neural activity before the onset of symptoms. To achieve this, they used a combination of advanced imaging techniques and cognitive assessments.
Positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed to detect and measure the presence of amyloid-beta and tau proteins in the participants’ brains. This imaging technique allowed the researchers to pinpoint specific regions where the proteins were accumulating. Magnetoencephalography (MEG), a method that measures real-time brain activity, was used to examine the neural activity patterns in these protein-rich regions. MEG is particularly effective for capturing the frequencies of brain waves, providing insights into how neural activity changes in response to protein buildup.
The researchers observed distinct patterns in brain activity linked to the presence of these proteins. Areas with high levels of amyloid-beta exhibited increased fast-frequency brain activity and reduced slow-frequency activity, reflecting a state of hyperactivity. However, when both amyloid-beta and tau were present, the activity in these regions shifted to a hypoactive state, characterized by a slowing of brain activity. This transition from hyperactivity to hypoactivity aligns with the idea that the proteins interact synergistically to disrupt normal brain function.
“The main takeaway is that subtle changes in brain activity, linked to amyloid-beta and tau protein buildup, occur long before noticeable symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease,” Baillet told PsyPost. “These changes differ depending on whether only amyloid-beta starts accumulating (yielding acceleration of brain activity), or whether the tau protein also adds to amyloid-beta accumulations (yielding considerable slowing of brain activity).”
Importantly, these participants were still asymptomatic, meaning their cognitive decline was detectable only through careful testing and not evident in everyday life. “This suggests that brain activity could serve as an early warning system for Alzheimer’s, opening up possibilities for earlier interventions to slow or prevent progression,” Baillet said.
The findings also revealed that these changes in brain activity were associated with declines in cognitive performance. Participants with more pronounced slowing of brain activity in regions affected by amyloid-beta and tau scored worse on tests of attention and memory.
“We were surprised by the extent to which changes in brain activity, particularly the transition from acceleration to slowing, predicted future cognitive decline,” Baillet explained. “Additionally, the synergistic effect of amyloid-beta and tau was striking—it was not just the presence of these proteins but how they interacted to influence brain function that mattered most. This finding underscores facets of Alzheimer’s disease that were not fully studied so far and highlights the importance of looking at brain activity in addition to measures of proteins in the brain or changes in brain structure, which occur later in the disease.”
As with all research, there are limitations. The data were collected at a single point in time, making it difficult to determine the causal relationship between protein buildup, brain activity changes, and cognitive decline. “Further research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms,” Baillet said. “For instance is it neural acceleration for unknown causes that triggers the accumulation of amyloid-beta, or vice-versa?”
The researchers plan to address these limitations in a follow-up study by rescreening the same participants over time. Longitudinal data will help clarify how brain activity evolves as the disease progresses and whether these changes reliably predict future cognitive decline. Exploring other markers, such as blood-based measures of amyloid and tau, could also enhance the ability to detect Alzheimer’s at its earliest stages.
“Our long-term goal is to develop non-invasive tests for early detection and risk prediction in Alzheimer’s disease,” Baillet said. “We aim to refine our ability to predict disease onset, severity and cognitive decline by combining brain activity measurements with possibly other biomarkers, such as amyloid and tau from imaging or blood tests. Ultimately, we hope this research will lead to a better understanding of the actual causes of the disease, for earlier and better interventions that slow or prevent Alzheimer’s, long before symptoms appear.”
“I’d like to thank the participants in our study and my co-authors. This work would not have been possible without their trust and commitment. I’d also emphasize the importance of open science—our dataset will be made available to other researchers, ensuring that these findings can be replicated and further advanced.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-024-01763-8) Synergistic association of Aβ and tau pathology with cortical neurophysiology and cognitive decline in asymptomatic older adults,” was authored by Jonathan Gallego-Rudolf, Alex I. Wiesman, Alexa Pichet Binette, Sylvia Villeneuve, Sylvain Baillet, and the PREVENT-AD Research Group.

(https://www.psypost.org/women-with-adhd-more-likely-to-engage-in-risky-behavior-than-men-study-finds/) Women with ADHD more likely to engage in risky behavior than men, study finds
Nov 27th 2024, 12:00

A new study published in (https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-06040-3) BMC Psychiatry has found that women with ADHD are more likely to engage in risky behavior compared to their male counterparts, highlighting the importance of considering sex-specific differences in the treatment and understanding of ADHD.
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects individuals across all ages. While males are more frequently diagnosed in childhood, females with ADHD tend to be overlooked or diagnosed later in life, partly because symptoms often present differently. Specifically, males typically display hyperactive or impulsive behavior, while females are more likely to experience emotional dysregulation and internalized symptoms, such as anxiety or depression.
The study, conducted by a team of international researchers, sought to explore how these differences extend into adulthood. Led by Alexandra Philipsen and Silke Lux from the University of Bonn in Germany, the research team examined how emotional differences impact risky decision-making behavior in adults with ADHD. They were particularly interested in understanding the physiological and behavioral interactions that drive these differences.
The study involved 29 adults with ADHD (16 males and 13 females) and 33 healthy controls (14 males and 19 females), all between the ages of 18 and 60. Participants performed a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), which is designed to measure risk-taking behavior.
In the task, participants viewed a balloon on a screen that inflated automatically. A larger balloon increased potential monetary earnings but also increased the risk of the balloon exploding, which would result in losing all the money collected.
During the task, researchers recorded skin conductance responses (SCR) to assess physiological changes associated with emotional arousal. “Changes in skin conductance represent unconscious processes before a decision is actually made,” the authors explained.
Additionally, participants completed questionnaires to evaluate their emotional competence (e.g., recognizing their own feelings), risk perception (i.e., attitudes toward risk), and sensitivity to feedback (i.e., punishment or reward).
The findings revealed that women with ADHD engaged in significantly more risky behavior during the BART compared to men with ADHD. This increased risk-taking was not observed in the control group, indicating a unique interaction between sex and ADHD in influencing decision-making behavior. Interestingly, there were no significant sex differences in the physiological responses measured by SCR.
Further analysis of the self-assessment questionnaires indicated that women with ADHD reported lower sensitivity to their own risky behaviors, suggesting a potential disconnect between their self-perception and actual tendencies.
Some limitations should be noted. For instance, participants were required to stop taking ADHD medication 24 hours before the study, but residual effects could still have influenced the findings.
Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into sex-specific differences in ADHD. The researchers emphasize the need for more tailored approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD, taking into account the unique challenges faced by women.
The study, “(https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06040-3) Sex differences in physiological correlates of affectively driven decision-making behavior in adult ADHD,” was authored by Eva Halbe, Alina Sophie Heger, Fabian Kolf, Philippa Hüpen, Moritz Bergmann, Ben J. Harrison, Christopher G. Davey, Alexandra Philipsen, and Silke Lux.

(https://www.psypost.org/new-study-uncovers-psychological-roots-of-partisan-violence-in-the-united-states/) New study uncovers psychological roots of support for partisan violence in the United States
Nov 27th 2024, 10:00

A recent study published in (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11109-024-09934-w) Political Behavior sheds light on what drives support for politically motivated violence in the United States. Researchers found that while overall public support for such violence is very low, those who do support it often share certain psychological tendencies. These include a propensity to dehumanize political opponents and a personal “need for chaos,” or a desire to disrupt the social order to gain status. The findings suggest that these drivers, rather than purely political ideologies, play a significant role in fostering support for violence.
Concerns over partisan violence in the United States have risen in recent years, fueled by events such as the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack and other violent incidents targeting political figures. Public worry mirrors this trend, with a majority of Americans expressing fear about politically motivated violence. Despite these concerns, little is known about the factors that contribute to such violence.
“I’m a social psychologist trying to understand intergroup violence. I believe that, to effectively address such violence, we need to understand the psychology that drives it,” said study author Alexander P. Landry, a PhD candidate at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
“I’m mainly interested in war and genocide, but I assume some of the basic psychological motives that lead people to support violence in those contexts also lead political partisans to support violence in the contemporary United States. Indeed, I’ve (https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/weh7k) found dehumanization to be one common psychological driver of support for violence in the U.S. political context, Russians’ and Ukrainians’ support for war crimes against one another in their ongoing war, Israelis’ and Palestinians’ support for genocide against each other, and Hindus’ and Muslims’ support for religious violence in India.”
The researchers analyzed data from three separate surveys, encompassing 2,003 participants. These surveys measured support for both abstract concepts of partisan violence and more specific instances. Abstract measures included statements like, “How much do you feel it is justified for [your political party] to use violence if the other party wins more elections?” Specific measures were grounded in scenarios, such as a vignette about a man shooting a political opponent at a meeting, with follow-up questions assessing whether the act was justifiable.
Participants were also assessed on a range of psychological and social traits to identify potential predictors of support for violence. Key variables included the “need for chaos,” a measure of a person’s desire to create societal disruption for personal satisfaction or status, and dehumanization, where individuals perceive political opponents as less human or evolved.
Other variables included trait aggression (e.g., a person’s self-reported likelihood of becoming physically aggressive), anti-establishment orientation (antagonism toward the established political order), system justification (beliefs in the fairness and legitimacy of the current social order), and social dominance orientation (support for hierarchical group structures). The researchers also examined partisan animosity, or the emotional dislike of opposing partisans, using feeling thermometer ratings.
Support for partisan violence was low overall, with average scores on abstract measures, such as general approval of violence to achieve political goals, ranging between 7.14% and 11.06% across the three studies. Support for specific violent acts, such as a hypothetical shooting motivated by political conflict, was even lower, averaging between 3.83% and 10.01%.
Despite the low overall levels of support, a minority of participants showed significant backing for violence, and their attitudes were strongly associated with specific psychological traits and intergroup evaluations. Two factors emerged as the most consistent and robust predictors of support for partisan violence: the need for chaos and dehumanization.
“Support for partisan violence in the United States is very low,” Landry told PsyPost. “But, among those who do support such violence, dehumanization of opposing partisans is a key driver of their support. Another driver in the U.S. political context is the so-called ‘need for chaos,’ or a personal desire to create disruption to gain social status. Those high in a need for chaos welcome disruption with little concern for what comes next, other than hoping to increase or protect their status.”
Social ideologies also played a role in shaping these attitudes. System justification and social dominance orientation were both positively associated with support for partisan violence. These findings suggest that individuals who see their political opponents as threats to the social status quo are more likely to endorse violence as a means of defending their preferred system.
Contrary to common assumptions, extreme political ideology—whether left or right—was not a reliable predictor of support for partisan violence. Additionally, partisan animosity, defined as emotional dislike of the opposing political party, was often unrelated to or even negatively associated with support for violence. This challenges the narrative that heightened political polarization is the primary driver of violent attitudes and highlights the importance of psychological and social factors over simple ideological divides.
While aggression was linked to abstract support for violence, it did not consistently predict support for specific violent acts, suggesting a distinction between general aggression and the willingness to condone concrete instances of violence. Similarly, anti-establishment orientation showed weak or nonsignificant relationships with both abstract and specific measures of partisan violence.
“We thought anti-establishment orientation—’a deep-seated antagonism toward the established political order’ (Uscinski et al., 2021, p. 879)—would also be robustly correlated with support for partisan violence, but it was not,” Landry said. “Instead, our result suggest that support for partisan violence is largely grounded in personality traits (need for chaos) and outgroup perceptions (dehumanization) that are not unique to the political domain. Support for partisan violence appears to resemble other types of intergroup violence.”
But as with all research, there are some caveats to consider. One limitation is the reliance on self-reported data, which may be influenced by social desirability bias. Given the sensitive nature of questions about political violence, participants might underreport their true support for violent actions.
The researchers also noted the need to investigate the role of elite messaging and media in mobilizing support for violence. Political leaders and media outlets often use divisive rhetoric, which may amplify tendencies like the need for chaos or dehumanization among certain subgroups. Exploring how specific types of messaging interact with psychological predispositions could help identify strategies to reduce the risk of violence.
The findings open the door to exploring the overlap between partisan violence and other forms of intergroup violence. With this line of research, Landry hopes to “illuminate the psychology driving violence so we can more effectively address it.”
The study, “(https://doi.org/10.1007/s11109-024-09934-w) Need for Chaos and Dehumanization are Robustly Associated with Support for Partisan Violence, While Political Measures are Not,” was authored by Alexander P. Landry, James N. Druckman, and Robb Willer.

Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

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