P10 - The Role of the Vascular System in Flavonoid-Induced Cognitive Enhancement

Abstract

Evidence suggests that dietary phytochemicals, in particular flavonoids, may exert beneficial effects on the central nervous system by protecting neurons against stress-induced injury, by suppressing neuroinflammation and by improving cognitive function. Historically, they were believed to do this via an ability to express classical antioxidant activity in the brain. However, their poor brain bioavailability and extensive metabolism means that this is unlikely. Instead, their actions on the brain appear to be mediated by effects on both the peripheral and cerebro-vascular system that lead to improved blood flow to the brain capable of inducing enhanced activity within specific domains of cognitive function. Such vascular effects may also lead to the activation of critical protein and lipid kinase signalling cascades in the brain, leading to a suppression of neuroinflammation and the promotion of synaptic plasticity. This talk will focus on the acute and chronic effects of flavonoid and flavonoid-rich food intake on human executive function (attention, sustained attentiveness and task responsiveness) and episodic memory and how such effects may be mediated by changes in peripheral and cerebrovascular blood flow, measured using flow-mediated dilatation and fMRI. Through such a mechanism, the consumption of flavonoid-rich foods throughout life holds the potential to limit neurodegeneration and to prevent or reverse age-dependent loses in cognitive performance. In addition, flavonoids may represent important precursor molecules in the quest to develop a new generation of brain enhancing drugs.