Trial reportThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2022
Twelve Weeks of Additional Fish Intake Improves the Cognition of Cognitively Intact, Resource-Limited Elderly People: A Randomized Control Trial.
Trial report in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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
6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dietary Intake, Mediterranean and Nordic Diet Adherence in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of Supplementation with a Microalgae Extract fromNutrients · 2024Trial
- Rationale and study protocol for a randomized controlled MIND diet feeding trial for breast cancer-related cognitive impairment.Contemporary clinical trials · 2026Article
- Combined Fish Oil and Pine Bark Extract Supplementation Improves Short-Term Memory and the Antioxidant Status in Middle-Aged and Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Randomized Double-Blind, Parallel-Group Pilot Study.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment and the Potential of Dietary Interventions for the Prevention and Mitigation of Neurodegeneration.Cancer research · 2025Review
- Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Sex and Racial Differences in Cardiovascular Outcomes and Cognitive Function.Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDietary omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) may reduce the risk of dementia. Many studies have investigated PUFA supplementation in high-income countries, yet food-based randomized control trials using omega 3 PUFA rich fish in lower to middle income countries, are lacking.
objectiveTo determine the effect on cognition of adding either fish or non-fish foods for twelve weeks to an enhanced diet of cognitively intact, independently living, resource-limited elderly people.
designRandomized control trial (National Health Trial register: DOH-27-061-6026).
settingRetirement center in urban South Africa.
participantsFifty-seven (74% female, mean age: 72±7 years) elderly participants with cognitive function exceeding 22 on the Mini Mental State Examination were randomized into an intervention (n=31) and control (n=26) group.
interventionThe usual diets of both groups were enhanced with context-appropriate foods to mimic elements of the Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet. The intervention group additionally received canned pilchards and fish spread every week amounting to an additional (theoretical) intake of 2.2g omega 3 PUFA daily. The control group received canned meatballs and texturized soya every week. MEASUREMENTS: Cognition was measured twice before and once after the intervention phase using the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI). Adherence was assessed by a study-specific food frequency questionnaire and red blood cell (RBC) PUFA biomarkers. Data were analyzed using a non-parametric analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with, and without, bootstrap imputation.
resultsParticipants in the intervention group had a significantly higher post intervention (P=0.036) CASI score than the control group, when the model was fitted with imputation and controlled for baseline scores. Participants in the intervention group also had a significantly higher intake of calculated dietary omega 3 PUFA and higher levels of RBC eicosapentaenoic acid and docosapentaenoic acid content than the control group (P < 0.05).
conclusionTwelve weeks of fish intake in the context of a modified MIND diet may improve the cognition of cognitively intact, resource-limited elderly people.
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