Pycnogenol? for Cognitive Function of Children and Healthy Adults

A normal cognitive function is a prerequisite for a healthy life. Unfortunately, this is not always a given. Brain function may be either hyper- or hypo-active and in both cases, quality of life can be impaired greatly.

Hyperactivity is frequently observed in children, adolescents and even adults and is commonly referred to as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Globally, around 5% of children are diagnosed with ADHD and an additional 5% of children are reported to have overactivity and inattention problems, just below the clinical threshold (1).

The decline of brain activity (hypoactive brain function) with memory problems and mental performance deficits on the other hand, is often related to the aging process. It has however also been described in younger people in chronically stressful school- or work-related situations, often leading to cognitive decline (2, 3).

Remarkably, Pycnogenol? French maritime pine bark extract has shown a broad spectrum of cognitive-related benefits for young people. These benefits range from reducing hyperactivity in children (4-9) to improving cognitive function in students and healthy adults (10, 11).

?Improvement of ADHD symptoms in children with Pycnogenol?

ADHD is a frequent brain hyperactivity disorder, and the most common behavioral disorder in children, with an increasing prevalence (12). A common medication for this condition is methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH, trade names include Ritalin, Concerta or Medikinet), which is associated with various adverse effects (13).

In a recently published double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial, children with diagnosed ADHD received either Pycnogenol?, MPH or placebo for 10 weeks (4). According to the teachers’ rating, hyperactivity and impulsivity were significantly improved by 34% with Pycnogenol? and by 36% with MPH compared to placebo. Inattention was ameliorated as well with both remedies. However, MPH led to significantly more adverse effects in the children, including mood changes, gastrointestinal symptoms, insomnia, headache and a feeling of tachycardia. Additionally, MPH led to loss of appetite and significant weight loss in the children, whereas with Pycnogenol?, a physiologically appropriate weight gain for this age group was observed (5). The researchers concluded that with the almost complete lack of adverse effects, Pycnogenol? is a good and efficacious alternative for MPH in children’s ADHD, especially in the school environment.

Another double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study could show that Pycnogenol? intake for 4 weeks relieved hyperactivity and improved attention of children with ADHD significantly compared to placebo and to baseline (6). Hyperactivity and attention were ameliorated by 18% and 14%, respectively, as rated by parents and by 16% and 10% as rated by teachers. In the placebo group, no significant effects were observed and no side effects after the Pycnogenol? supplementation were reported.

In parallel, the levels of stress hormones (catecholamines) after Pycnogenol? supplementation in ADHD-affected children were investigated (7). The concentrations of this group of hormones (including adrenaline, noradrenaline, and dopamine) were normalized in ADHD patients with Pycnogenol? supplementation, which consequently leads to less hyperactivity. DNA damage incidents as measured by the levels of 8-oxoG as representative of oxidatively damaged purines were significantly reduced by 6.3% and 35.4%, respectively (8). In addition, Pycnogenol? normalized the total antioxidant status and improved the glutathione levels, an index for antioxidant capacity in the children with ADHD (9).

Pycnogenol? enhances mental performance in students

In an observational study, 53 healthy students, aged 18 to 27 years were supplemented with 100 mg Pycnogenol? a day for 8 weeks. Another group of 55 students was used as control subjects (10). The effects of Pycnogenol? on cognitive function and mental performance was investigated, using different tests. For example, the paced auditory serial addition task was used for assessing the sustained attention. For evaluating the spatial recognition and working memory abilities, CANTAB (Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery) was applied. The students showed significantly improved attention in form of better serial addition abilities (+52.9% vs +4.7% in the control group) and increased memory skills (+35.8% vs +4.5% for picture recall, +11.1% vs +1.3% for pattern recognition memory and +19% vs. 10.5% for spatial recognition memory). Planning ability and mental flexibility also increased after the 8-week Pycnogenol? supplementation. The real and practical effectiveness of Pycnogenol? supplementation on cognitive performance has been confirmed by evaluating the marks obtained by students in academic exams during the second month of treatment. The exam scores of the supplemented students were better by 7.6% compared to the exam scores from the control group. These results have confirmed Pycnogenol?’s beneficial effects on the mental performance in healthy students.

Advanced cognitive function in healthy professionals with Pycnogenol?

A study with 60 subjects between 35 and 55 years evaluated the effects of Pycnogenol? 150 mg a day on cognitive function, attention and mental performance in healthy professionals (11). For this, cognitive battery tests, similar to those of the previous study with students were used. Among other items, improvement of attention (+13.4%), mental performance (+8.9%) and memory (+3.6%) were determined after Pycnogenol? supplementation. Overall cognitive function was improved by 10% in the Pycnogenol? subjects compared to a slight increase of 4.3% in the control group. No significant changes were found in the control group. Additionally, the plasma oxidative stress levels were measured (as plasma free radicals) and showed to be elevated at the beginning of the study, probably due to negative daily stress. After 12 weeks of supplementation with Pycnogenol?, a significant decrease of 30.4% to normal levels compared to a slight increase in the control group of 0.8% was measured.

Pycnogenol? regulates cellular NO concentration, which affects brain function

The underlying mechanism of action of Pycnogenol? is based on its ability to regulate the endothelial function via adjusting nitric oxide (NO) production (14, 15). It has been shown that NO has beneficial effects on brain function (16). NO is capable of relaxing constricted blood vessels, normalizing blood pressure and helping to protect tissues from damage, caused by low blood supply (17). By regulating vascular smooth muscle relaxation, NO leads to increased blood flow, which ensures sufficient supply of oxygen to neuronal cells (18). In addition, NO has been found to regulate neuronal functions and helps to modulate key neurotransmitters, thus contributing to processing signals in the brain (19, 20). Interestingly, the active metabolites of Pycnogenol? build up inside the endothelial blood cells and possibly pass the blood-brain barrier (15). The beneficial effects of Pycnogenol? on endothelial function have been shown in several clinical studies (14, 21, 22).

Pycnogenol? regulates the NO production in two ways. The endothelial NO synthase (eNOS), generating normal concentrations of NO from L-arginine in the cell, is stimulated by Pycnogenol? (23). At the same time, Pycnogenol? prevents a toxic overproduction of NO by downregulating the inducible NO synthase (iNOS) - a well-established source of nitric oxide (NO*) during inflammation (15). In this way, Pycnogenol? naturally modulates the multiple effects of NO in the brain.

Pycnogenol? controls inflammation and oxidative stress

As mentioned in the beginning, repeated stressful situations can have a negative effect on cognitive function (2, 3). It has been shown that this effect is due to destructive brain inflammation, along with oxidative stress damage, triggered by social, psychological or physical stress (24-26).

In several studies, it was shown that Pycnogenol? has potent anti-inflammatory activities (27-29) and associated antioxidant activity (8, 30, 31). Already after 5 days of daily intake, a study reported that Pycnogenol? significantly prevented the up-regulation of the pro-inflammatory enzymes 5-LOX and COX-2 (27). In another ex vivo study, plasma samples of volunteers, having taken Pycnogenol? showed to statistically significantly inhibit NF-κB activation by 15.5% and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) release by 25%, two important regulators in the inflammation process (28). In a similar study, statistically significant inhibition of inflammatory molecules COX-1 and COX- 2 was observed after intake of 300 mg Pycnogenol? (29).

?Pycnogenol?

Pycnogenol? French maritime pine bark extract is a safe, natural, and evidence-based solution to support a healthy cognitive function. For a complete list of scientific research and for further information, please visit www.pycnogenol.com .

?References

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28.????????Grimm T, Chovanova Z, Muchova J, Sumegova K, Liptakova A, Durackova Z, et al. Inhibition of NF-kappaB activation and MMP-9 secretion by plasma of human volunteers after ingestion of maritime pine bark extract (Pycnogenol). J Inflamm (Lond). 2006;3:1.

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30.????????Kolacek M, Muchova J, Dvorakova M, Paduchova Z, Zitnanova I, Cierna I, et al. Effect of natural polyphenols (Pycnogenol) on oxidative stress markers in children suffering from Crohn's disease--a pilot study. Free Radic Res. 2013;47(8):624-34.

31.????????Devaraj S V-LS, Kaul N, Sch?nlau F, Rohdewald P, Jialal I. Supplementation with a pine bark extract rich in polyphenols increases plasma antioxidant capacity and alters plasma lipoprotein profile. Lipids. 2002;37(10):931-4.