An experimental study by American and Italian scientists showed that mice with Down syndrome who received extra virgin olive oil showed significant improvements in learning and spatial memory. In addition, as reported in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, these mice also showed improvements in synaptic function.
Down syndrome occurs in one in every 800 births worldwide. Today, most people with this syndrome live much longer than they did 20 to 30 years ago: if in the 80s and 90s of the last century, their average life expectancy was 40 to 45 years, now it reaches 60 years. Because of this change, people with Down syndrome experience a significant burden of Alzheimer's disease - it is known that by the age of 40, 50 percent of people with Down syndrome suffer from significant learning and memory impairments that are associated with brain changes typical of Alzheimer's disease.
At the same time, data show that eating habits are functionally linked to brain health and the risk of developing dementia. For example, following a Mediterranean diet has been recognized as an important preventive measure that can delay age-related cognitive decline and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. An important component of this diet is olive oil, which reduces the risk of death from neurodegenerative diseases by 29 percent. However, it is unknown how effective it is in slowing down neurodegenerative processes in Down syndrome.
A research team led by Domenico Praticò from Temple University examined whether supplementing mice with Down syndrome with extra virgin olive oil could prevent cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction. The mice were given the oil for five months along with their regular food at a rate of 50 milligrams per kilogram per day. A control group received only food.
To determine whether chronic olive oil consumption affects memory and learning, mice were exposed to a water maze. It was found that mice that received olive oil had a significantly reduced time to reach the platform area and a significantly increased number of entries into the platform quadrant. Electrophysiological studies on freshly prepared hippocampal samples showed an increase in postsynaptic excitatory potentials in the Schaffer collaterals, which are considered integral to memory formation in the hippocampus.
Analysis of cytokines, cells and proteins in the cerebral cortex showed that chronic consumption of extra virgin olive oil decreased levels of CD40, interleukin 12p70 and increased levels of interferon-inducible T cells, interleukins 1ra, 28, 6, 5 and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 18.
According to the study authors, supplementing the diet with extra virgin olive oil in people with Down syndrome may also improve learning and memory, as well as synaptic function. Further studies should test the effectiveness of this method in clinical settings.
We previously reported that gonadotropin-releasing hormone injections also improve cognitive performance in people with Down syndrome.