Trial reportEuropean journal of nutrition2021
Effect of folic acid combined with docosahexaenoic acid intervention on mild cognitive impairment in elderly: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Trial report in European journal of nutrition, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
24 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 51 citations in OpenAlex.
- Nutritional supplements and cognition in healthy aging and mild cognitive impairment patients: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.The journal of prevention of Alzheimer's disease · 2026Pooled it
- A systematic review and dose response meta analysis of Omega 3 supplementation on cognitive function.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of vitamins and polyunsaturated fatty acids on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of nutrition · 2024Pooled it
- N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Elderly with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The effects of multi-nutrient formulas containing a combination ofThe British journal of nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- Vitamin Supplementation and Dementia: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Effects of a Combined Vitamin DNutrients · 2026Trial
- DHA status influences effects of B-vitamin supplementation on cognitive ageing: a post-hoc analysis of the B-proof trial.European journal of nutrition · 2022Trial
- Marine-derived PUFAs and peptides for aging-related memory deficits: processing methods, pharmacokinetics, mechanistic insights, and clinical application.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Review
- Biological, dietetic and pharmacological properties of vitamin BNPJ science of food · 2025Review
- The association of vitamin deficiency with depression risk in late-life depression: a review.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Review
- Review
- Cognitive Function After Stopping Folic Acid and DHA Intervention: An Extended Follow-Up Results from the Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial in Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment.Journal of Alzheimer's disease reports · 2024Article
- Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Skeletal Muscle Mass and Strength in Adults: A Systematic Review.Clinical nutrition research · 2023Review
- The Effect of Folic Acid Supplementation on Endothelial Function and Arterial Stiffness Markers in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Eicosapentaenoic Acid or Docosahexaenoic Acid Improved Ageing-Associated Cognitive Decline by Regulating Glial Polarization.Marine drugs · 2023Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeThis study aimed to assess the effects of folic acid (FA) combined with a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) intervention on the cognitive function and inflammatory cytokines in elderly subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
methodsThis randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial recruited 240 individuals with MCI in Tianjin, China, and randomly allocated into 4 groups: FA + DHA (FA 800 μg/d + DHA 800 mg/d), FA (FA 800 μg/d), DHA (DHA 800 mg/d), and placebo. Cognitive function, serum folate and homocysteine (Hcy), plasma DHA and inflammatory cytokines levels were measured at baseline and 6 months.
resultsDaily oral FA, DHA and their combined use for 6 months significantly improved the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and some subtests of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale compared to the placebo. The increases of FSIQ, arithmetic, picture completion scores in the FA group and picture completion, block design scores in the DHA group were significantly less than that in the FA combined DHA group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, daily oral FA, DHA and their combined use for 6 months significantly decreased plasma inflammatory cytokines compared to the placebo. The changes of interleukin-1β levels in the FA group and interleukin-6 levels in the DHA group were significantly less than that in the FA + DHA group (P < 0.05).
conclusionsDaily oral FA, DHA and their combined use for 6 months can significantly improve cognitive function and decrease plasma inflammatory cytokines in MCI individuals. The combination of FA and DHA was more beneficial than each individual nutrient on their own.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.