Effects of Alpha-lactalbumin Intake on Metabolic and Cognitive Functions in Elderly
Public ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT02082418. Field values are reproduced from the official study page; the official ClinicalTrials.gov record remains the source of truth for eligibility, enrollment, and contact information.
Data is sourced from official ClinicalTrials.gov public API records. Always review the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for the latest information.
Official title
Effects of Alpha-lactalbumin on Metabolic and Cognitive Functions in Healthy Older Adults
Brief summary
Reproduced verbatim from the official ClinicalTrials.gov record. Not medical advice.
Aging modifies the metabolic pathway of the neurotransmitter serotonin by reducing the synthesis rate and increasing the breakdown rate of serotonin, possibly related to the observed enhanced sensitivity of the serotonergic pathway. Since serotonin plays a prominent role in neuropsychological functions such as anxiety, mood and memory, the enhanced sensitivity of the serotonergic pathway in aging can probably explain the fact that elderly are more vulnerable to develop cognitive deficits and depressive symptoms. Serotonin synthesis in brain is regulated by its precursor tryptophan (TRP). Because tryptophan is an essential amino acid, modifying the availability of tryptophan through dietary intake, can directly influence central serotonin metabolism and consequently affective and cognitive processes. The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that an acute intake of whey protein with high levels of TRP such as alpha-lactalbumin can stabilize the metabolism of serotonin and subsequently enhance metabolic and cognitive functions in healthy older adults. The acute effects of this dietary protein will be investigated in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or dementia, compared to control subjects in order to examine whether healthy older subject with MCI benefit more from the intake of alpha-lactalbumin and/or whey. The investigators will investigate if this meal can optimize serotonin metabolism by elevating plasma TRP levels and plasma TRP appearance and enhance splanchnic TRP extraction. In addition, the effects on mood and cognitive functions will be examined.
Study identification
- NCT ID
- NCT02082418
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Not applicable
- Enrollment
- 59 participants
Conditions and interventions
Conditions
Interventions
- Alpha-lactalbumin Dietary Supplement
- Whey Dietary Supplement
- Casein Dietary Supplement
Dietary Supplement
Eligibility (public fields only)
- Age range
- 55 Years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepts healthy volunteers
This page does not interpret eligibility. Detailed inclusion and exclusion criteria are on the official ClinicalTrials.gov record.
Study timeline
- Start date
- Apr 1, 2014
- Primary completion
- Nov 30, 2016
- Completion
- Nov 30, 2016
- Last update posted
- Sep 29, 2025
2014 – 2016
United States locations
- U.S. sites
- 1
- U.S. states
- 1
- U.S. cities
- 1
| Facility | City | State | ZIP | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M University | College Station | Texas | 77843 | — |
Site contact phone numbers, emails, and investigator names are intentionally not displayed here. Open the official ClinicalTrials.gov record for site contact information.
About this trial record page
- What this page shows
- Public field values for ClinicalTrials.gov record NCT02082418, including study identification, conditions, interventions, eligibility (age, sex, healthy volunteer), timeline, and U.S. site list.
- What this page does not do
- No medical advice, eligibility judgments, treatment recommendations, study quality scoring, or AI-generated medical summaries. No site contact phone numbers, emails, or investigator names.
- Where the data comes from
- Sourced from the official ClinicalTrials.gov public API. The official record is the source of truth.
- Last refresh
- Last update posted Sep 29, 2025 · Synced Sep 3, 2026
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Open the official record
The complete protocol, eligibility criteria, and contact information for NCT02082418 live on ClinicalTrials.gov.