Fatty Acid Modulation of Brain Function in Older Adults
University of Vermont · NCT06192407
Opens the official ClinicalTrials.gov record, with the study team’s contacts. Bored Studies doesn’t enroll anyone.
Key facts
- Compensation
- Not posted. Ask the study team before screening.
- Who can join
- Ages 65–75 · All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Study type
- Interventional · Not applicable
- Target enrollment
- 60
- US sites recruiting
- 1
- Study start
- April 15, 2024
- Record last updated
- September 17, 2025
Status re-checked against ClinicalTrials.gov within the last 12 hours.
What the study is about
In this crossover study, the investigtors will administer two experimental diets in a random order for one week, and each experimental diet will be preceded by a one-week, low fat control diet for a total four-week study period. The goal is to study how the fatty acid content of the diet affects brain functioning in healthy adults aged 65-75 years. One experimental diet will have a high palmitic acid (PA)/oleic acid (OA) ratio (HPA), typical of the North American diet. The other experimental diet will have a low PA/OA ratio (HOA), typical of the Mediterranean Diet. All allowed food and drink (except water) will be provided by the investigative team, and compliance will be enhanced by constant, intense dietary surveillance by a registered dietitian.
Being studied: High Oleic Acid Diet; High Palmitic Acid Diet
Conditions: Aging
Eligibility criteria
Copied from the official record. The study team makes the final decision at screening.
Show full criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- Men and women age range 65-75 years
- Normal cognition (see Research Strategy for details on cognitive assessments)
- "Healthy" (body mass index (BMI) of 20-40 kg/m2)
Exclusion Criteria
- Significant cognitive or behavioral impairment (see Research Strategy for testing and exclusions) or pharmacological treatment for this (e.g. antipsychotics, anxiolytics, and sedative medications).
- Hormone replacement therapy, past 3 months.
- Hyper-androgenic condition.
- HbA1C≥7.5% and or Fasting plasma glucose concentration ≥130 mg/dL.
- Type 2 Diabetes if receiving any other therapy than metformin.
- Use of nicotine or ingestion of caffeine or alcohol during the study.
- Habitual fat intake \< 25% of kcal or strict vegetarian diet.
- Sleep apnea requiring continuous positive airway pressure at night.
- Lung, cardiac (heart failure or its treatment), liver disease, renal disease, cancer, and any other medical disorder known or thought to cause inflammation or abnormalities of cognition
- Actively training for an athletic event or participating in competitive sports (such as league play or tournaments)
- Intolerance or allergy to any of the food provided in the study.
Recruiting US locations
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05401
Site contact: Jenna Makarewicz, B.S. · (802)847-8248 · jenna.makarewicz@uvmhealth.org
Study contacts (from the official record)
- Julie Dumas, Ph.D. · 1(802)847-2523 · julie.dumas@uvm.com
- Jenna Makarewicz, B.S. · 1(802)847-8248 · jenna.makarewicz@uvmhealth.org