Two years ago, I reported on a clinical trial of a nutrient cocktail called Souvenaid for those with early Alzheimer’s. The three-month trial, involving 225 patients, had some success in improving verbal recall, with those with the mildest level of impairment benefiting the most.

The ‘cocktail’, designed by a MIT professor of brain and cognitive science, includes choline, uridine and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA. Earlier research indicated that these nutrients — precursors to the lipid molecules that help make up neural membranes — need to be administered together to be effective. In animal studies, the cocktail increased the number of dendritic spines, which are reduced in Alzheimer’s disease.

A further trial of the supplement has now been reported on. This randomized, controlled double-blind study followed 259 patients with early Alzheimer’s for six months. The placebo group was given an iso-caloric control product. Compliance was high (around 97%), and no serious side effects occurred.

During the first three months, all patients improved their verbal memory performance, but after that those on placebo began to deteriorate, while those on Souvenaid continued to improve. Their performance at the end of the trial was significantly better than that of the placebo group. Moreover, brain scans showed that their brains began to show more normal activity patterns, consistent with the regaining of greater synaptic function.

Because the supplement only seems to be effective for those in the early stages (in this study, participants averaged around 25 on a scale of dementia that ranges from 1 to 30, with 30 being normal), a two-year trial is now underway with patients with MCI.