Cognitive health ingredient from PL Thomas targets wider population
Synapsa Natural Memory Support, a patented, standardized form of Bacopa monnieri, is the subject of six double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies in which healthy adults showed significantly improved performance in areas such as visual processing, learning rate, working memory, information retention and mental performance in cognitively demanding environments.
A variety of mechanisms of action for bacopa monnieri have been studied. Many point to the bacosides as the (likely) active part of the compound. But additional research is needed to pinpoint individual elements of bacopa monnieri for the benefits it has been shown to impart.
The clinical studies show support for two distinct types of benefit from Synapsa Natural Memory Support: daily, long-term use to enhance learning and memory and short-term use to improve mental performance in cognitively demanding situations, such as test-taking.
PL Thomas hopes to use such claims to target the more than 120 million people the US today who are considered “knowledge workers,” meaning they use cognitive skills as a daily part of their jobs; along with the estimated 21 million students currently enrolled in college. A 2010 HealthFocus US Trend survey found that 53% of consumers were concerned about their mental abilities, up almost 50% from a similar survey conducted in 2000, noted Seth Flowerman, director of business development at PL Thomas, in a statement.
“Yet the cognitive health category in supplement sales remains relatively small in comparison to segments like heart health and joint health," he added. "There is remarkable room for growth in this area–particularly in the area of cognitive performance related to study and work. Data from research conducted on Synapsa Natural Memory Support over the past decade offer product developers and marketers of cognitive health supplements a strong platform for the development of exciting new formulations. These studies show efficacy in both the acquisition and retention of knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge when it is needed—in cognitively demanding environments. We think a diverse group of consumer groups looking for a cognitive edge will take notice."
Trials show promise, more to come
The standardized, patented Synapsa extract has been the focus of seven "foundational" clinical trials and six rigorous clinical trials over the past 30 years.
Most recently, Downey and colleagues (2012) examined two different doses (320 mg/640 mg) of Synapsa in a study on sustained cognitive performance, evaluating the short-term effect of Synapsa in healthy adult subjects. The subjects demonstrated significantly improved performance in faster information processing and improved decision making time in a multitasking environment. A 2008 publication by Stough and colleagues described a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 90-day study with 62 participants, ages 18-60, consuming 300 mg Synapsa/day, finding that subjects in the Synapsa group showed a statistically significant improvement in working memory, visual information processing (sustained attention) and accuracy in complex cognitive tasks. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 12-week trial by Roodenrys and colleagues (2002) demonstrated a “significant” effect of Synapsa on the retention of new information. Finally, Stough and colleagues (2001) found that subjects consuming 300 mg of Synapsa per day showed a statistically significant improvement in the speed of visual information processing, learning rate and memory consolidation, as well as a statistically significant reduction in the rate of forgetting.
According to Flowerman, clinical research on the benefits of Synapsa will continue in an effort to build awareness about the broader potential for cognitive health.
“Good clinical science is a key part of our value proposition for Synapsa Natural Memory Support for companies who are looking to create new products and build new brands in the cognitive health space. With Synapsa we’re committed to maintaining one of the most aggressive and comprehensive research programs on a cognitive health ingredient in the industry,” he said in the statement.
